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'A great boss, a great friend and a great guy'

Thursday, 19 January 2012

Ian Madden

TRIBUTES have been paid to Portstewart businessman Ian Madden who died suddenly last week.
The 53-year-old owner of the Anchor Bar complex was found dead at home last Wednesday morning.
He was laid to rest in Agherton Cemetery following requiem mass at St. Mary's Star of the Sea church on Sunday.
A huge crowd of mourners, including many from the licensed trade, attended the funeral at which parish priest Fr Austin McGirr described the father of two as a hard-working man who loved new challenges.
“He worked at the Montague Hotel and took over the business after his father died but his ambition was always to own the business across the road, The Anchor," he told mourners.
“He worked very hard to achieve that ambition and he had a great business acumen. He never coasted - it wasn't his style - and he kept making improvements and investing in the business to make it even better. Tragically, that all came to a halt on Wednesday."
Jimmy Calvin, a friend and colleague of Mr Madden's for over 15 years, described him as someone of great vision who was "years ahead of anyone I knew."
“The foresight he had was unreal," said Jimmy. "No matter what the problem was he solved it and he was one of the few businessmen who kept investing in his business. He never stopped and you would get calls at all hours about something relating to the business.
"He cracked the whip when necessary but he was a great motivator and nothing could beat him. He looked after his staff and I'm sure I speak for all of them when I say that they all regarded him as a friend."
Employer
An employer of around 100 people in a number of businesses, Mr Madden didn't always fit with the traditional image of the successful businessman.
“It's funny but we met a lot of people in meetings over the years and they would arrive with all their gadgets like laptops, mobiles etc and Ian would say 'put them away, we'll just talk.' We used to joke that we would have to enrol on a computer course," continued Jimmy.
“But he was a very humble man too. He helped a lot of people over the years, but in a quiet way - he was never one for courting publicity. He had no airs or graces, but he loved his cars.
“If he had a problem with someone he would get it out and move on, he wasn't one for holding grudges. He had good people working for him, though, and it was fitting that he got a good send-off in the Anchorage on Sunday. He was so proud of The Anchor complex.
“A couple of years ago, at the height of the property boom, he was offered big money for the bar but he turned it down - he said to me that he needed something to get up in the morning for.
“That was the type of man he was and I can safely say he'll be badly missed. To me, he was a great boss, a great friend and a great guy."

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