Cork's John Mullins made 'enormous contributions' to so many spheres, funeral hears 

The late John Mullins “absolutely loved Cork”, his funeral liturgy heard, and that was evident through the many contributions he made throughout the city and the county.

The businessman and entrepreneur, who stood as a Fine Gael candidate in last year’s European election, was often described as a larger than life character, his son Michael said in a moving eulogy on Holy Thursday in the Church of the Holy Spirit, Dennehy’s Cross.

The phrase “larger than life” was also used after the funeral service by Tánaiste Simon Harris in comments to The Echo.

Mr Mullins, who passed away suddenly at home on Monday morning at the age of 57, “put an awful lot into the 57 years of life he lived, making enormous contributions across business, sport, politics, and civic life,” his son said.

Michael Mullins said he had been given “the unenviable task of having to fit the life of John Mullins into a 10-minute eulogy”.

From an early age, he said, his father’s values and approach to life had been shaped in large part by his parents, Pat and Maureen.

“They were hugely determined to ensure that dad, and his brothers, Jim, Pat, Kieran and Brian, had the best possible education, and worked extremely hard to enable that.

“The influence of his parents was complemented greatly by his education at the North Monastery. It was there that he learned to combine confidence with humility, and to be able to engage with people of all backgrounds with respect.” 

Even in his younger years, John Mullins had a strong work ethic, his son said. “If he couldn’t give 110%, then it wasn’t worth doing, whether it was hurling, football, basketball or even singing for the school choir for Pope John Paul II in Rome, he gave it everything.” 

He excelled academically, earning a full scholarship to UCC, and during his time there he received graduate of the year, taking part in numerous societies, and making full use of his years in UCC.

“He graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and joined the ESB, a job my nan was delighted with, as it was, she said, ‘a good, pensionable civil service role that’ll set you up now for life’. As we know now, his career was slightly more complicated than that.” 

In December 2007, Mr Mullins joined Bord Gáis as CEO, leading a company of 1,000 employees.

“During his five years there he enabled the transformation of Bord Gáis from a legacy gas company to a diversified organisation, establishing it as a significant electricity company with the Big Switch initiative,” Michael said.

He recalled the weeks after his father finished with Bord Gáis as a time that hadn’t suited a man who loved to be busy.

“My mum, my sister, and I quickly realised this was a disaster for us. He was pacing up and down, hanging around, we started saying ‘When will this fellow get a job for himself?’” 

He was soon back at work, co-founding clean energy company Amarenco, and in 2016, his efforts were recognised by the French government when he received the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur.

John’s daughter Sarah spoke about the significance behind the offertory gifts, saying: “There are not enough symbols to represent my dad”.

One of the gifts, an iPhone, she described as her father’s “trusted companion and his personal assistant”, adding that it represented his connectivity to his family.

She joked that her dad’s love of all things Cork led to one disappointment: “My dad’s one regret was me and Michael’s posh South Dublin accents.” 

Outside the church, there were poignant scenes as Mr Mullins' coffin was carried to the hearse, passing through a guard of honour of schoolchildren from his beloved North Mon, holding their hurleys aloft.

Speaking to The Echo after the hearse had left, Tánaiste Simon Harris said he was “in absolute shock” at Mr Mullins’s passing.

“John was so full of positivity, so full of joy. He loved meeting people,” he said.

“The fascinating thing about John is everybody, apart from his immediate family, knew one part of him.

“This is because he was involved in so many different things including Age Friendly Cork, the Port of Cork and the business world he was involved in.

“From a Fine Gael point of view I’d like to acknowledge the massive contribution he made to our party both locally in Cork as a trustee and also as a European election candidate.

“We are all going to miss him so much. His children did him so proud today, as did his family. It’s such a difficult thing to ever have to do. I am thinking of them all on this difficult day,” he added.

The Liturgy of the Word was presided over by Bishop Emeritus of Cork and Ross, Dr John Buckley, and concelebrated by Fr Tom Clancy and Fr Donal Cotter PP.

Among those in attendance at the funeral were Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Simon Harris, ministers Paschal Donohoe, Patrick O’Donovan and Jerry Buttimer, TDs Colm Burke and Noel McCarthy, Senator Garret Kelleher, Lord Mayor of Cork councillor Dan Boyle, councillors Des Cahill, Damian Boylan and Jack White, former tánaiste Simon Coveney, chairman of the GAA county board Pat Horgan, chief executive of Cork City Council Valerie O’Sullivan, and property developer Michael O’Flynn.

Mr Mullins is survived by his wife Siobhan, and his children Michael and Sarah.