Celebrating a life lived to the full

by Dermot Davitt |

Danny_Galvin_blog

Sad, moving and poignant, this week’s funeral service for Danny Galvin, the highly respected and popular CTC-ARI Airports General Manager who lost his life in a car crash in Cyprus, was also a fitting celebration of a life lived to the full.

Richard Galvin spoke beautifully about the two distinct halves of his brother Danny’s life, the first devoted to his early life around his native Cork, where as a talented sportsman Danny won a colleges All Ireland cup medal in Gaelic football – a rare honour indeed.

The second half, said Richard, was “dedicated to the globalisation of the Galvin name” with his move to the UK (with C&A and Marks & Spencer in the late 1980s and early 1990s) and then further afield with Aer Rianta International (ARI), where he established himself as one of the group’s key figures, first in the Russia/CIS region, and later in the Middle East.

Long-time colleague and friend John Kilmartin summed up the feelings of those present in his tribute, saying: “Danny enriched all our lives, as a mentor, guide and friend. Let’s remember and celebrate that life.”

While there were many tears, there was much laughter too, as friends and ARI colleagues past and present swapped stories about Danny into the wee hours, both on the night before the funeral, and again on the day he was buried.

As with all those who contributed their own tributes via The Moodie Forum in recent days, our thoughts and prayers will be with Danny’s wife Diane, his children Sophie, Katie, Lauren and Kieran, and the wider family, in the weeks and months ahead.

  • Martin & Dermot, On a personal note to your “Moodie Blog” thank you both and well done for your journalistic skill in turning a business website into a a tribute column,

    Martin – for your timing in catching the mood and tone of the last week so well, Dermot – for your eloquent reporting of Danny’s funeral, and for showing that Travel Retail is about much more than passengers, product and promotion…. we also are a common group, a community, a family.

    Your work in capturing the esssence of Danny’s Travel Retail life I believe has had a moving and lasting effect on Danny’s family ….

Comments are closed.