Jim McNaughton:Jim McNaughton, who has died aged 70, was a pioneering and successful businessman in Dublin and a dedicated patron of the arts. He was born in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, where his father was assistant county engineer for Tipperary North Riding. Nine years later the family moved to Carrick-on-Shannon in Co Leitrim and it was there Jim grew into one of the county's greatest supporters and in later years one of its greatest ambassadors.
His working life saw him take to the high seas and he fished for a time on trawlers out of Killybegs in Donegal. He soon saw the possibilities of making more money selling those catches on dry land and for a while delivered fresh fish all over the country.
He quickly identified a conflict between the fish business and his success rate with members of the opposite sex at the weekends. This convinced him that a change was needed and he sought new, fresher pastures, further afield. He even tried his hand at the hairdressing business for a while but that too was brushed aside and he eventually made his decision to get into the tile business.
On January 1st, 1982, Jim opened his new tile business in Dublin. With two employees, a bucket of adhesive, high interest rates and high unemployment, it was going to be an uphill battle. Add to that, the biggest snowfall in decades and you will have an idea of the courage and resilience of the man.
For the first week he had to literally dig his way into his new premises, which was no larger than the average-sized livingroom. Today, TileStyle, the business he founded, operates from a 16,000sq ft showroom on Dublin's North Wall, with a new 40,000sq ft showroom opening in late 2007.
Jim was a visionary and moved an industry in Ireland from a traditional approach of buying to order and viewing on pallets, to beautiful showrooms which left little to the imagination. He personally travelled extensively to places such as Italy, Spain, Germany and the US seeking out originality and diversity for his customers.
In the process, he revolutionised and transformed the availability for clients in this country. This, combined with continuous investment in the technical training of new staff, saw TileStyle grow into the business it is today, setting new standards for itself and for others to follow.
Jim was also a leading figure in the world of arts and culture. He played a important role in innovation in these areas.
He was founding chairman of Design Yard in Temple Bar and was also a founding director of Business2Arts (bringing the world of arts together with the business community). He instigated the Art of Rubbish Awards which recognised the creative opportunities in recycling.
Jim spotted beauty and talent very often before others did. He was an avid art collector and his tastes included Yeats and Henry to Skelton, Mooney and Pearson and in more recent years the works of emerging Irish artists such as Kingerlee, McAleer and Blackshaw. He commissioned works of art and craft from new artists and will be fondly remembered by many of them for giving them the start and platform they needed.
He was a director of the Barretstown Gang Camp (the Paul Newman charity) and a platinum sponsor of the National Concert Hall in Dublin. He was involved in numerous sponsorships of the arts and did immeasurable work for charity.
He was also personally involved in social and community projects both north and south of the Border. He was deeply committed to the achievement of peace in Northern Ireland. The progress in recent years and in particular in the period before his death, gave him a great sense of achievement for those involved and hope for the future.
Jim loved life, he loved golf and he especially loved Galway. His second home was at his house in Oranmore called Amen Corner. The walls are adorned with photographs of Jim with all the great players of the golfing world. He met them all: Snead, Player, Nicklaus - the lot. And yes, even the elusive Tiger himself. Thanks to a little help from people in high places, Jim eventually tracked Tiger down after a five-year hunt and his photographic collection was complete.
In latter years Jim suffered with ill health. He fought many battles and won most of them. Eventually his illness got the better of him and time was running out. He was aware of this but it did not stop him completing a few more goals.
Jim and friends celebrated his 70th birthday on February 17th this year along with 25 years of TileStyle - all organised by Jim from his hospital bed. In his speech he gave some good advice to his guests when he said: "If you want to survive in business and life get a good medical team behind you". Very apt since he had been released from St James's Hospital the previous evening and his medical team had a table beside his.
Jim never complained even though he very often had good reason to. When asked by friends and family as to how he was, even at his lowest ebb, he would reply "sure I'm fine".
He loved life and longed to have more of it. He spoke movingly of "having one more year at the Galway races; to hear one more recital from Anne Sophie Mutter in the Concert Hall, to attend one more match with his beloved Leitrim in Croke Park".
But it was not to be. Jim had a deep faith which he relied on throughout his illness and in his final days. He was not afraid to go but so wanted to stay a little longer. He had so much more to give.
He will be sadly missed by his beloved family and friends. He will be missed from his usual haunts where one would find him most days; at his desk, or more likely on the floor in TileStyle. If, by chance, he was not there, he would be at a board meeting of one of his charities or arts organisations. If it was evening, you might find him enjoying a nice Italian red with some friends in Peploes on the Green. And at the weekend, just inquire what's on in the world of arts and he would be there. Unless, of course they were having a sale in TileStyle, when you would find him on the floor once again.
This evening in Birmingham, his two sons will attend a major awards banquet for those involved in the tile industry in Ireland and the UK. Jim was nominated some months back for an award that recognises an "outstanding contribution to tile industry" and hopes are high for another Irish victory.
Jim is survived by his wife Kay, daughter Michelle, and sons Robin and Gerard, brother Gerard and sisters Margaret and Patricia.
"Ní bheidh do leithéid arís ann."
Jim McNaughton: born February 7th, 1937; died April 13th, 2007