Sadness at death of Anthony Cowdy
January 1952
TUESDAY’S meeting of the Drogheda Harbour Board was adjourned as a mark of respect to the memory of the late Anthony Cowdy, who had been a member for almost 30 years.
Ald. L. J. Walsh, T.D. (Chairman), said they met that day under the shadow of grief and sorrow because of the passing of Mr. Cowdy. During the time he had been a member he had served the interests of the board well and as if it were his own personal property. The Board would miss sadly the prudent judgement and wise decisions which he on every occasion contributed to its administration.
While they had previously lost many old valued members, the Chairman added, he thought there would be nobody missed more sadly than Mr. Cowdy.. He was a man of outstanding character. As the Managing Director of Drogheda’s oldest and largest industries he was one of those employers who, although he might have differences with his employees, held their respect in every way. The attendance at his funeral was the proof of that. He had brought the industry through many a crisis in its history and it might be well and truly said that the passing of this great man made all but petty men forget the bonds of class, creed, distinction and even race.
He would ask the Board, continued the Chairman, to pay the last tribute it was in their power to pay, to Mr. Cowdy’s memory by adjourning the business for a week.
Mr. J. Dowd, as the oldest standing member of the Board left, joined in the expression of sympathy. Mr. Cowdy was, he said, a man who gave invaluable service to the Board at all times and even up to a few weeks before his death. His loss was a great one for he was a great employer and a great friend of the workers.
Mr. F. Chadwick said he had always considered Mr. Cowdy to be one of the most morally courageous men he had ever met and Mr. D. J. Blood, Ald. A. Farrell and CoLr. J. Murphy also joined in the expression of sympathy.
It was agreed to ask the late Mr. Cowdy’s family to present the Board with a photograph of him so that it might be hung in the Board room and further to write to the Directors of the Greenmount and Boyne Linen Mills expressing sympathy with them in their loss.