Eoghan NOLAN

I had the pleasure of meeting and working with Eoghan when he delivered a (fantastic) copywriting project. He was so generous with his time and ideas, and so personally supportive of me as he explained the magic of copywriting.
I was also struck by how fondly he spoke of his boys and Niamh who no doubt really miss him now. Scanning through these messages, it is clear that the little piece I knew of Eoghan is in keeping with someone who throughout his life was a creative, inspirational and kind person.
It was an honour to have crossed his path.

I am so shocked to hear of Eoghan's passing. I first met Eoghan back in the 90's when working in McCann Erickson. I remember all the great work he was responsible for, what a great talent and a great person. May he rest in peace

Niamh,

So very sorry to hear of Eoghan's death. Thinking of you and your boys at this hardest of times.

I'm so shocked to hear today that Eoghan died. I was an old friend who lost contact over the years. Eoghan was always a great person to spend time with. My sincere condolences Niamh and to his beloved boys and wider family

Eoghan was rare and so generous as a friend. I am shocked by his passing, he will be so missed. So grateful to have known him, the 90s in Dublin were special because of him. Eoghan was funny and charming, cultured and creative and nobody used language like him.
Dearest Niamh, Carver, Art and Macdara, so sorry for your great loss. Love Finola and David

I liked Eoghan a lot and was stunned to read his obituary this morning. Our paths rarely crossed but when they did, it was fantastic. I admired him greatly. I’m sorry. My respect and deepest condolences to his family and his friends.

Dear Niamh, Carver, Art and Macdara,
We are so sorry to hear the sad news about Eoghan’s passing. He was a joy to have known, such a great guy. May he rest in peace.

Dear Niamh,
I was so sorry to hear about the passing of your beloved husband Eoghan. I never met him but I used to enjoy hearing about him and his experiences in advertising & marketing from you when we met for lunch in Bank of Ireland days and after. My heart goes out to you and your boys. You are in my thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.

To Niamh, Carver, Art and Macdara. Your husband and father was one of the sweetest, kindest, cleverest, coolest, brightest, sparkling stars in the universe. The world is dimmer with him gone. He is not gone. There isn’t a person who knew him that doesn’t hold him still in clarity in their hearts and minds. It is unimaginable that his light would ever be extinguished. Much love to you all and so much love for Eoghan. He’s with the angels, and they’re feckin delirrah!

So sorry to hear of Eoghan’s passing.
Deepest sympathy to all his Family.

Eoghan
Thank you for great work, great wins, and great fun.

Rest in peace.

So very sorry to hear of Eoghan’s passing. I had the privilege and joy of working with Eoghan in Peter Owens Advertising and McCann's. May he rest in peace.

Niamh, Carver, Art and Macdara, I’ve not met you but that doesn’t mean I didn’t hear about you from Eoghan. He always talked about you when we sat down together. My heart goes out to you.

Eoghan, my old friend. High school classmates but we became close at UCD and stayed in touch since then. I’ve never missed a chance to catch up with on each of my trips back to Dublin. You’re one of the reasons I keep coming back. Will miss you for all the reasons people talk about here, no more to be said other than I’ll miss you greatly. RIP my bredren.

I am so terribly sorry to hear about the loss of a good man. Eoghan was always kind to me when we met and when I worked as a copywriter in McCann Erickson many years ago. I looked up to him as a man of words. I extend my deepest sympathies to his wife Niamh and three boys.

Reading all your thoughts and seeing all your names takes me back to The Toby Jug and then Tobins, Eoghan leaning over the table taking us all on a merry dance. May he rest in peace.

Not sure exactly when or where I first met Eoghan. Most likely a pub. Maybe it was Tobins but I have an inkling it was The Toby Jug! It was in the mid 80's and we were unemployed (who wasn't?). We had the Tuesday club, where a few of us gathered after signing on at 'Hatch 22', played snooker in the 'Hideout' and drank coffee in Bewley's till it was safe to enter a pub.
Eoghan introduced me to many things. He introduced me to the music of Lyle Lovett and K.d Lang among many others. He introduced me to or should I say reintroduced me to the writings of Gerard Manley Hopkins and to Raymond Carver. Mervyn Peake, I was already aquatinted with but not his poetry. This particular poem he brought to my attention after the death of his mother and subsequent in depth conversations about the meaning of life most likely in a corner of Tobins on Duke st in Dublin. It has always remained with me. Thank you Eoghan. I am missing you.

The vastest things are those we may not learn.

We are not taught to die,
nor to be born,

nor how to burn with love.
How pitiful is our enforced return

to those small things we are the masters of.
-Mervyn Peake

Sincere condolences on your loss. Had the pleasure of working with Eoghan in the 90’s in McConnells. Such a talented copywriter with a great work ethic, Eoghan never let you down and saved many an account handler’s hide. May he rest in peace.

Dearest Niamh, Carver, Artie and Macdara

For my darling friend Eoghan, the Wordsmith and so much more

There are no words

But one

Love

To Niamh, Art, Carver & Macdara, our deepest sympathies. We were very saddened to learn that Eoghan had passed away. I have only fond memories of Uncle Eoghan, from earliest days in Corbawn Avenue to many years later in Bray. I remember as a young boy, staying overnight with Emmet in Nanny & Grandad's, Eoghan would often come home late in the evening after a long day's work. But never too late for tea, toast & a friendly chat with his two nephews. He always had a smile on his face and a kind word for us. It's a great pity that we were not able to travel & visit you these past few weeks, but very much hope that we will have an opportunity soon. With love, condolences and best wishes from us all, Matthew, Gillian, Emma, Chloe & Jake.

A week since Eoghan died and still hard to believe. My deep regrets on a huge loss to his beloved Niamh, Carver, Art and Macdara; his sisters and brother, all his family. Recently Eoghan asked me to visit and said Artie might make his famous lemon drizzle cake in my honour, but of course Covid put paid to that. Eoghan never missed a chance to name one, other or all of his boys. His pride in them was enormous, and I loved how regularly he paid tribute to Niamh on social media. More men should take note! Last July, Eoghan pinpointed a photoshoot location for me in Bray that I could not find for love nor money. He said, “I’m either lucky or a feckin genius”. Well, we all know he was certainly the latter. Another memory, from last May, is Eoghan writing to me about the consequences of Covid: “Back in January [2020] I got one of my ‘Write Like A Dog’ posters framed for Michael D (for the toilet in the aras) but the moment has passed…”. I am sure the lower-case ‘a’ on ‘aras’ was no mistake. Thank you, Eoghan, for being you, and rest in peace and joy.

Niamh, I'm so very sorry to hear about Eoghan’s passing. Thinking of you, Carver, Art and Macdara at this sad time.

Eoghan Dear Eoghan, when i sit to write this i am confused by time. Where did it go. The time in-between here and then and now. Walking home with you along the gates of St Stephens green to our shared apartment in earlsfort terrace. Talking about the new doors just opened for you in your work and me off to Vancouver to work on a film . Both setting off to see the world with almost grown up eyes. You were ever so engaged in many of the stories and tales i spun . I was intrigued by your sense of the world and what you chose to see that others missed. My teacher and comrade. Like a professor you introduced me to the others of the class of 1985. Our lecture hall Toibin's , Bewleys grafton street, Pete's pub and Why go bald, Achill island, harbour bar and later down the road the visits to your home with Niamh and your 3 beautiful boys. A sanctuary within one.

Dear Niamh and boys, I can only imagine how much you will miss your lovely Eoghan. I count myself incredibly lucky to have shared so much fun and so many adventures with him over many years. Eoghan will be always in my memories and in my heart, love Cecily

My deepest condolences to Niamh, Carver, Artie and Macdara. And thanks to Eoghan for the many wonderful memories. There should have been many more. According to the proverb ‘Ná déan nós agus ná bris nós’ you should never make or break a custom. Eoghan liked doing both. He liked mixing things up and he liked mixing folk together. One of the various ‘customs’ Eoghan created over the years was ‘the six o’clock club’, which ran for a while in the ‘90s. It was no more than a promise that for a few hours on a Saturday there would be some folk gathered in Kehoe’s pub for a pint and a chat. Feel free to drop in for as long as you like, on your way home from shopping or on your way out for the night. Sometimes just a couple of people turned up, sometimes a couple of dozen, including overseas guests. Eoghan was always there, at the heart of it.

Thank you Eoghan for introducing me to Antoine de St-Exupéry , Myles Na gCopaleen , Roger McGough , Mervyn Peake , Viv Stanshall, naming a few. Thank you for your inclusiveness with pints in The Toby Jug , Kehoes , Sinnotts , to name a few.You're an amazing guy.
Niamh , Carver , Art , Macdara , Liam , Geraldine , Clodogh my sincere sympathy on your loss. Dave
David Cassidy

Sincere condolences to you Niamh, Carver, Artie and Macdara on the sad and untimely passing of Eoghan. May he rest in peace

Dearest Eoghan,

My life was so much richer for knowing you.

Many wonderful memories that span many years, from 'Late Date with Maxi' to raising my spirits while locked-down in India last year - I thank you for this and so much more.

Time to rest, and be remembered with such fondness.x

Dear Eoghan, i think you would appreciate the irony, i’m stuck for words. I’m struggling to find the right ones to describe how important you were to me in my life.

Maybe it is because many years ago you convinced me to buy a jumper made by a drummer friend of yours, that got me thinking about lives as wooly jumpers. I have grown comfortable with mine, old and worn though it has become. On friday last a big hole appeared in its fabric. I know in time i will get used to this hole, maybe not notice it as often but it will remain evermore a reminder of what was there before, something unique and priceless.

I will miss you in so many way, your thoughtfulness, sincerity, kindness, your wonderful chuckle. I will miss your occasional impatience and grumpiness too.

You opened my eyes to so many things including this verse from William Carlos Williams:

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens

When you first showed it to me i thought you were daft, poetry? But as time has gone on this verse has become something of a mantra for me. These are words i return to often when, like now, i feel uncertain, They ground me. I honestly don’t think i would ever have discovered them had you not pointed the way.

Thank you from my heart, you were the best.

Rest easy

Eoghan’s father Liam gave my Dad Vincent his first job and shortly after Eoghan’s cot was passed on to my brother John. We liked to think in there amidst the nappies, bottles, soothers and hi-jinks, a spiritual kinship was born. They were surely like brothers. I got in by the back door by virtue of that, but I like to think Eoghan became my friend too. What fun times we had.
Eoghan was a constancy in a world that often seemed chaotic. It was in his ready smile and his twinkly crinkly eyes. He was sensitive as well as so very smart. He knew about things. He knew about life. Intuitively. I always felt calmer around him.
For all the good times in all our singles life, Eoghan took to family life like a fish to water. He was at his happiest when he met lovely Niamh. As John reminded him, Love Is King, and one day he came back from a clandestine visit to New York Just Married. He was in his element. The love and pride he felt for Carver, Art, Macdara was evident for all to see. Her boys. His boys. Themselves. Boys who can rejoice in the legacy that was and will always be their father. He was rare. He was one of the greats. How lucky I was to have known him. He meant the world to me and I will always miss him. Love Ciara
I’m so sorry Niamh, Carver, Artie, Macdara and Clodagh xxx

LARGE

Should this be a painting, as words for a wordsmith seem foolish
Or should it be a mountain range, distinctive, verdant, with no plateau
Or could it be a very large box of chocolates, to treat a whole town,
because that’s what we’d need to feed the gap left by that
tree on our horizon
Maybe it’s a full length play, with actors he loved, and writers he sought
and a composer who unearthed his soul
Or maybe it’s a solo run, as we wait for him to
land the line that would break the room
as he sat on an enormous chuckle
Maybe it’s a poem, one of his own, because poetry was close to his sound
And his reach was large enough to accommodate all the centuries of
trying to put words to feeling, that flowed too fast, were too hard to grasp,
but like the upstream salmon catcher, he’d manage to do it
pick the right collection of letters
parcel it into something resounding
Or maybe the only thing that can hold the largess of him,
the bounty of the man, is his fine nest of boys and his beloved Niamh
and all of us sounding off in the mars-like crater
that was the breadth of him.

Mags

It was with great sadness that I learned of Eoghan's untimely passing. He gave me my first creative job in advertising, after offering me an internship as he felt that I had "an interesting story". Though I never found out what that 'story' was, I happily took the job, as well as a spot under his wing. As creative directors go, he was the best of the best. He was brilliant, funny, charming and so, so kind. When Eoghan was talking, you always leaned in, knowing that you were about to witness something brilliant... if you were close enough to hear it. His passion, his talent and his way with words will always be remembered.

Niamh, Carver, Art and MacDara, my sincere condolences on the loss of dear Eoghan. Thinking of you all during this heartbreaking time. May Eoghan Rest In Peace.

So saddened and shocked to hear of Eoghan’s passing. He was a wonderful jovial person. His work with us in Glasnevin Trust inspired the award winning “One Million Dubliners” campaign. We had so much fun doing it and the result was pure genius. RIP Eoghan

I learnt more about our creative industry stood outside Osteria Lucio on cold mornings having the chats and drinking coffee than I ever did elsewhere. A wonderfully generous, insightful, humorous and intelligent human being. So shocked by this news. My deepest sympathy to all the family. You will be very missed.

I was so very sorry to hear of Eoghan's passing and I extend my deepest condolences to you all. I had the pleasure of working with Eoghan in Leo Burnett, what a fabulous person he was. I will always remember him for his great creativity, his incredible wit, that twinkle in his eye and of course his kindness and generosity of spirit. He had a great way of making difficult days a whole lot better. RIP Eoghan, you will be missed.

Deepest condolences to Niamh and the boys. So shocked and at loss for words. Eoghan was a warm and generous man and such a feature of my early Dublin life in the 80’s. My thoughts are with you. He will he missed. Nick

Safe journey little bro'.......forever loved.
Thinking of you Niamh, Carver,Artie and Macdara xxxx

Rest in peace Eoghan. It’s rare that the scale of someone’s talent matches the scale of their kindness and generosity. A huge loss to our industry and community. Deepest condolences.

Very saddened to hear of Eoghan's passing. I had the pleasure of working with Eoghan at our agency a few years ago. He was always kind, level-headed, and that great creativity. He always had a great quote for every occasion (many of which I have used myself since!). My sympathies to his family and friends. He will be sorely missed in the industry he loved.

Dear Niamh, Carver, Art and Macdara.
So saddened to hear of Eoghan's death. I had the pleasure of working with Eoghan often over the years and looked forward to those times. His creativity, curiosity and endless wit always meant we had fun. He will be missed.

My heartfelt condolences to Niamh, Carver, Art & Macdara. I’m a bit lost for words, such a shock. Eoghan was such a kind, fun, unique & insightful person who I was lucky enough to get to know back in the 80’s, Tobins days. I shall be raising a parting glass today. Love & light to his family.

Dear Niamh, Carver, Art and Macdara, my deepest condolences to you all. I am one of many Irish copywriters influenced and inspired by Eoghan. He was an incredibly special person and his loss will be felt deeply.

Dear Eoghan, I feel just as speechless at your passing as I did in your presence. During our many conversations over the years, I longed to speak with even a crumb of your wit and intelligence. I never found the right words. Yours were always better. You were a beautiful soul; generous with your time and your thoughts. There was always more space under your wing. The kindness of your eyes and sharpness of your wit will stay with me forever.

You were brilliant and beloved.
Rest in peace.

Dear Niamh, Carver, Art and Macdara, so deeply shocked and sad to hear of Eoghan’s passing. He was a wonderfully kind man. Always courteous and gentle. An absolute gentleman. Listening to his Spotify selection today. Thank you.

Shocked & deeply saddened at the sudden loss of Eoghan. We will miss his cheeky smile, his divilment & great Witt. This pandemic has robbed us all of time with pals & time catching up, it feels like only a few months ago when we partied all night into the small hours for Eoghan’s 60th & what a great night it was too!
Niamh, Carver, Art & Macdara you know how much you were adored, Eoghan was so proud of his gorgeous family & three wonderful boys. Be kind to yourself & to each other, your hearts will always be filled with love, his love for you & yours for him that’s the one thing that will never die.
Sending you all our deepest sympathy. Love & light from Mark, Rebecca, Sam, Alex & Harry xxx

We were all so sad to hear that Eoghan had passed away. Our deepest condolences to Niamh, Carver, Artie and Macdara.

Dear Eoghan,

Thank you for EE Cummings and Dylan Thomas.

Safe journey, I will be thinking of you and all your family this afternoon under this blue sky.

Travel well, with love..

Eoghan will be sadly missed. A wonderful storyteller in every sense of the word with the particularises of a true advertising craftsman. He made the early morning train journey well worth the effort.

Sincerest condolences to Niamh & family on the sad passing of Eoghan. I remember Eoghan fondly from my time in II. I worked part-time on reception while teaching myself photography in my spare time. Eoghan trusted me to come to your lovely home in Bray to capture some family portraits. I remember being utterly petrified beforehand, I need not have been. You were both so warm and friendly to me. Eoghan was just lovely, an absolute pleasure to have known him. RIP Eoghan

To Niamh and the boys.. my deepest condolences on this huge loss.
No matter what I say here, my words will fall shy on how to express the sorrow I feel for you and the boys at this harrowing time.. my thoughts are with you all.
To Eoghan, my uncle, my godfather, - I thank you for the wonderful happy memories you left me with in my childhood, the days you would take me into town on the Dart at the young age of six, to go watch Superman movies in the cinema off Grafton St. and then McDonalds on the route home...
The long walks on Shankill beach with you and Snuffy the dog, searching for washed up treasures that might drift in with the tide... these great memories I will treasure forever.
Safe journey Eoghan x

Love Jesse

My sincere condolences to Eoghan’s family and his many friends.
A wonderful unique man with all the great gifts and so generous in sharing them.
Rest in peace.

So sad to learn about Eoghan's passing; I'm very grateful to have enjoyed his superlative wit and great warmth. My heart goes out to Niamh, the boys, Eoghan's family, and great group of friends, sending love.

Shocked and saddened to hear of Eoghan's passing - it was a rare privilege to have spent time in the company of someone so kind and witty .... a creative genius. Deepest sympathies to Niamh, Carver, Art, Macdara and his extended family. May he rest in Peace.

Sincere sympathy Niamh, Carver, Art and Macdara,
We'll miss Eoghan passing our gate on a fine day and having a chat with us. What a wonderful husband, dad and neighbour. Thinking of you at this time. May Eoghan Rest In Peace.

For copywriters of a certain generation, Eoghan Nolan was the name most revered and admired. So sorry for your loss.

Dear Niamh
I am so saddened to hear this - I had no idea Eoghan was ill. My deepest sympathies.
I will play a beautiful song that Eoghan once shared on his FB page, and is now a favourite of mine-
‘Caetano Veloso...’
may he rest in peace x

Macdara is one of my best friends. Every time I went to his house his dad would give me Ribena. I don’t know how Macdara is feeling now, but he must be very sad. I look forward to seeing him again soon.

Dear Niamh and family,

Like so many I was shocked to hear of Eoghan's untimely death. How devastating for you all. I remember his kindness to me when I joined 'ad-land', his support for young talent and his drive for good work.I hope when we can, all his friends and former colleagues can gather somewhere to celebrate him and remember all the old war stories.

Whenever I did a voiceover penned by Eoghan, I bounced into studio knowing the divilment that was on the way.
We’d spend the studio time acting the eejit, talking as eejits, getting back to the ad every now and then, but mostly it was eejitry, involving high pitched jibberish, extended chins and a widening of the eyes. The ad sounding all the better for it.
If it was a Friday, that merriment found its way to Smyth’s, or if it was any of the other days in fact.
What a bright spark Eoghan was. A spark that ignited others. He was many things, standard bearers usually are, but just as actors have agents, ideas had Eoghan, batting for them, keen to introduce them to others.
I’m so very sad he’s gone, but forever grateful for his company, the memories and the divil in him. Deepest respect and condolences to Niamh, Carver, Art and Macdara. X

What sad news to hear of Eoghan's passing. Working with him on Guinness advertising was such a pleasure. He lit up every meeting with his engaging wit and his beaming smile. Sincere condolences.

We are very sorry to hear about your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you.

I am so sad to hear that Eoghan has gone. It's not right and it's not fair. Happy memories shine through - like the time Eoghan somehow 'acquired' the key to the park in Fitzwilliam Square and larks were had. Or his lovely handwriting on C60 mixtapes made in Alexander Court, one memorably titled 'The Singer with the Forgotten Name'. I'll play it at 3.45pm. Eoghan would be able to put the fun into funeral - there was an innate generosity to his legendary wordsmithery - it came from his soul and could lift everyone's hearts. Like at that party in Bray in the snow with Roger Doyle playing the piano - he was so happy and so proud of his beautiful family. That is my best memory of dear Eoghan. Deepest sympathies to Niamh, Carver, Art and Macdara

Niamh, my sincere condolences on the sad passing of Eoghan to you and your three boys.

I joined McCann Erickson in ‘98. Eoghan and Gerry McCloskey were in charge. Their brief was to give McCann a creative reputation that would make it a force to contend with in Irish advertising. Eoghan took that responsibility very seriously. I remember being both impressed and a little scared as he checked and rechecked every piece of artwork with his immaculate eye for detail. I can still see his signature on the McCann approval stickers. He battled for great ideas. Nothing would anger Eoghan more than sloppy lazy work or clients who skimped on production budgets. He wanted the best of everything; great photographers, illustrators, directors and designers. He inspired so much creative writing talent like Conor Ferguson and Jessica Kiang, Production teams, including Genie Dorman, Philip McAllister and Bill McDonagh. He and Gerry mentored and guided Shay and Stanno to become future McCann Creative Directors.

His NTL radio ad, “Sprouts”, was genius, I can still hear the line “pass mammy’s handbag”.

Eoghan leaves behind a wonderful legacy and the tributes here bear testimony to how much of an impact he made on every single one of us who worked at McCann.

May he rest peacefully.