*John Mangan on duty for The Clare Echo.
PICTURES tell a thousand words and the legacy of John Mangan will live on thanks to his ability to capture memories through his wonderful photographs.
After a very tough four months, John lost his battle with cancer late on Wednesday night at Milford Care Centre. He had encountered several health setbacks since July 2023 before his untimely passing at the age of sixty five.
Though a native of Rochfordbridge in Westmeath, he made his mark in his adopted county of Clare where he ran businesses, raised a family, made many friends, founded two camera clubs and always did his best.
His working life began with the tennis ball factory in Westmeath. It also included running Mangan’s Store in Newmarket-on-Fergus and Yvonne’s Takeaway in Turnpike to name but a few enterprises.
An ever-present member of The Clare Echo’s team since its foundation in the autumn of 2017, John‘s photography brought life to the newspaper’s pages. As a founding member of the Clare Camera Club, he instigated the strong ties that still exist between the club and this newspaper, which has resulted in his work along with that of the late Martin Connolly and Gerard O’Neill greatly strengthening The Echo’s sports coverage.
Demonstrating John’s loyalty to The Clare Echo was the presence of our latest newspaper at the foot of his coffin at his reposal in Kennedy’s Funeral Home on Friday evening. When it came to assignments for The Echo, John always tried his best to go above and beyond to capture the perfect shot to accompany a story or interview. His caring and sensitive approach helped to put interviewees at ease when sensitive issues were covered.
Skilled when it came to capturing landscapes behind the lens, his photograph of Doonagore castle in Doolin proudly hangs in the offices of The Clare Echo in the Clare Rd Business Centre.
It is fitting that John’s first and last assignments marked key milestones for The Clare Echo. His first assignment was The Echo’s launch party held at The Temple Gate Hotel in October 2017. His last gig was the hugely successful Electoral Chair: Election Debate in front on a live audience at Hotel Woodstock at the end of November.
Editor and Managing Director of The Clare Echo, Stuart Holly said, “Everyone at The Clare Echo is deeply saddened by the loss of our friend and colleague, John Mangan. I first met John in 2017 when I called Clare Camera Club looking for local photographers to work with The Clare Echo. John was extremely supportive, not only working with us himself but also introducing us to a number of talented photographers many of whom we continue to work with today and others who have sadly passed, including the great Martin Connolly. John not only introduced The Clare Echo to a world of fantastic photographers, he also opened doors for local photographers in Clare to have their work published to a mass audience”.
He added, “A photo taken by John in Doolin hangs proudly in The Clare Echo offices, and will do so forever as a reminder of everything he contributed to our team”.
His colleagues in Clare Camera Club provided a guard of honour when his coffin was carried out of Saint Peter & Paul Cathedral in Ennis on Saturday morning.
Symbols brought forward at the funeral mass included his beloved camera, photographs of his loved ones including his late parents Patricia and Michael plus one featuring him and his partner Deirdre. Car keys were brought forward to show John’s love of travel at home and abroad.
How he looked after people with his cooking skills was acknowledged through whisk making cookbook while his ability to make people laugh was remembered with the presenting of a blanket. John’s love of music and his home county was noted when a Joe Dolan CD was brought before the altar.
“Those symbols tell the story, they don’t the whole story,” commented Fr Tom Ryan. He said John’s loved ones were “saying farewell when time itself shifts reminds that life is full of seasons, transitions”, referencing the changing of the clocks.
Fr Ryan stated “As a photographer he knew the value of capturing moments of time, he knew time wasn’t measured in hours or minutes but love given, kindness shared and memories made”.
He added, “John’s time on this earth may be complete but his 65 years of living continues to live on in all of you”.
Michael O’Brien of the Clare Camera Club gave a heartfelt tribute to his dear friend from the altar. “He touched the lives of so many people through his passion for photography, his unwavering dedication to his extended family and his remarkable work ethic”.
John’s illness “came at the most inopportune time”, O’Brien flagged as he was unable to leave University Hospital Limerick (UHL) for the funeral of his mother Patricia in December “which broke his heart”.
Reflecting on John’s working life, Michael described him as “a bit of a trail blazer, he knew how to make a few pound”. “He loved to the centre of attention and making people happy,” Michael recalled. John’s love of the Bay City Rollers and platform shoes were also referenced.
O’Brien continued. “his camera was his constant companion, capturing the world around him. He had an uncanny ability to capture different shots, through his lens he shared his ability with us and we were all ye better for it”.
He commented, “he founded two camera clubs, he taught us all to frame a picture and to capture memories to last a lifetime, his enthusiasm for photography was infectious and he inspired countless other photographers because of this”.
According to Michael, “John always putting his loved ones first, his extended family were his pride and joy, he was a rock, a provider, a constant source of support, he gave everything to his friends”.
Also labelled “a man of action, he believed in the values of a job well done”. He said, “his work ethic was something we all admired. He was more than a family man, a photographer, and a worker, he was a great friend, he was always there with a lending ear and to provide a laugh. His friends knew they could always count on him”.
New locations presented fresh opportunities for John, “he was always eager to explore new places whether it was across the country or around the world, he saw every new destination as a chance to capture life from a different perspective”.
Concluding his eulogy, Michael stated, “let us remember the man who loved photographer, cherished his family and worked hard all his life, he is no longer with us but his spirit lives on with all of his photographs, his legacy lives on with the memories captured and love given, thank you for being part of our lives, you will never be forgotten”.
