In Memoriam
It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of our colleagues and friends, Adrian Jordan and Sir Anthony O'Reilly. The entire Matheson team, past and present, is greatly saddened at the news of their passing and we send our deepest condolences to their respective families and friends.
May they both rest in peace.
Adrian Jordan
Adrian joined Matheson nearly 17 years ago, as a Senior Systems Engineer. His warm personality, his skills and experience soon saw him progress to the position of Operations Manager Infrastructure Architect. He was known as a friendly and supportive colleague, who had many friends across the firm, someone who would still be talking to you long after he had resolved your IT query. He was both a gentleman and a gentle man, softly spoken but well informed and thorough, always looking to help and find ways to improve our systems and people's experience of them.
He was central to many key projects in Matheson, and his keen interest in monitoring the latest technological advances ensured our IT Department was always ahead of the competition. As a key member of the project team which planned our return to the office following the COVID-19 pandemic, Adrian managed and designed the IT infrastructure, ensuring that every Matheson employee had the equipment and training they needed to be able to quickly adapt to our new hybrid working system.
He held a Diploma in Electronic Engineering from Dundalk IT, a BSc in
Information Technology from DCU and an MSc in Technology and Innovation Management from TUD. He started his career with Compaq as a Helpdesk Analyst and then with McCann FitzGerald, first as a Helpdesk Support Technician and then as Technical Infrastructure Administrator, before joining us in 2007.
Outside of work, Adrian used his communications skills to good effect. A superb speaker, he was a keen member of Toastmasters in Greystones, becoming the club’s Treasurer in 2017.
Despite being unwell for a few years, Adrian fought his condition with bravery and courage. His good humour and positivity were inspirational. Even while seriously ill he enjoyed entertaining a regular stream of visitors and work colleagues until recently. He adored his wife Audrey and his three beautiful daughters, and they made their home a very welcoming place to all who visited.
He will be very much missed by all of his friends and colleagues here in Matheson.
Sir Anthony O'Reilly
Sir Anthony was one of Ireland’s best known and highly regarded businessmen, whose impact on Irish industry spanned decades. He was a major media owner and an influential business leader, and his tenure at leading brands such as Kerrygold, Irish Sugar, Heinz, Waterford Wedgwood and Independent News & Media, made him a leading light of the Irish business community.
He qualified as a solicitor in 1958, having graduated near the top of his class in University College Dublin. Although he never practiced law, his legal training stood him in good stead and we were honoured to have him serve as Chairperson of Matheson for over twenty years, from 1992 to 2013.
His philanthropic vision was best evidenced in 1976 when he, together with former US Ambassador to Ireland, the late Dan Rooney, established what would become the Ireland Funds to promote peace, culture and charity in Ireland. The Ireland Funds has been one of the largest donors to the island of Ireland in the cause of peace, is still in operation today and will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2026. His work with the Ireland Funds led to him receiving a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 2001, the first full knighthood to be awarded to an Irish citizen.
Matheson Chairperson, Patrick Spicer said, “Tony O’Reilly had an enormous impact on Irish business life, one which has been well documented. He was also an inspirational sporting figure with a long career and record-breaking performances on the rugby pitch, representing Old Belvedere, Ireland, the British & Irish Lions and the Barbarians. In addition, his vision and dedication in successfully establishing the Ireland Funds has had a transformative impact on peace in communities across this island, and will live on as a major part of his legacy.
Initiatives and Partnerships in Memory of Late Matheson Colleagues
Matheson Annual Christmas Carols in Memory of Emer Casey
Matheson's Annual Christmas Carols recently took place in our Dublin office and was a great opportunity for staff, family and friends to enjoy an evening of festive Christmas Carols, mulled wine and mince pies.
Held annually, in aid of our former colleague Emer Casey, the choir performed a range of joyful tunes accompanied by Matheson’s own talented musicians.
All of the funds raised from the event are in aid of the Emer Casey Foundation, which is dedicated to providing funding to secure the best independent research to detect the early signs of Uterine / Ovarian cancer.
Tim Scanlon Corporate Law Bursary 2024 Winner Announced by Matheson
Benedict Taaffe has been announced by Matheson as the winner of the 2024 Tim Scanlon Corporate Law Bursary. Now in its third year, the annual bursary honours the memory of late Matheson partner, Tim Scanlon.
Benedict Taaffe is a fourth year Law with Economics student from the University of Limerick and wrote an essay examining the topic “The Impact of AI on Corporate Governance - Opportunities and Risks for Boards?”, which was chosen as the winning submission.
Benedict was awarded a €5,000 bursary; a place on Matheson's Summer Internship Programme in the Corporate Department; and, in appreciation of Tim Scanlon's love for the arts, a piece of art by Irish artist Diana Copperwhite.
The Tim Scanlon Corporate Law Bursary amplifies Matheson’s existing student and graduate programmes, including the Matheson Cara Scholarship, the Matheson Scholarship in Law Plus in association with the University of Limerick, and the First Step Programme.
Matheson Announces Winner of the 2023 Matheson Cara Scholarship
Matheson, in association with Trinity College Dublin (TCD), has announced second year TCD Law and Political Science student, Jude Pierse, as the winner of the 2023 Matheson Cara Scholarship.
Named the Matheson Cara Scholarship in honour of late Matheson partner, Cara O'Hagan, and delivered as part of Matheson's Impactful Business Programme, the annual scholarship is open to second year undergraduate students in TCD, including students on the Higher Education Access Route or the Disability Access Route to Education schemes, mature students and students who face barriers in third level education.
As winner of the Matheson Cara Scholarship, Jude is awarded the following by Matheson:
- a place on Matheson’s Summer Internship Programme in June 2024;
- a bursary of €5,000 for each academic year; and
- an assigned mentor from Matheson to provide support during Jude’s university journey.