MJ COMMENT

Obituary: David Horgan

Beloved "fearless" Irish mining stalwart passes away at the age of 66

David Horgan

David Horgan | Credits: Clontarf Energy

David Horgan, founder and chairman of a number of mining and resource companies, has passed away at the age of 66.

Hogan was the director of Botswana Diamonds, cofounder and chairman of Petrel Resources, cofounder and chairman of Clontarf Energy, and founder and chairman of Greenore Gold.

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David Horgan | Credits: Clontarf Energy

Horgan, a Belfast man, finished his primary education in Dublin and his high school in British Columbia. He graduated with a first-class honours law degree from Cambridge in England and obtained a Master's in Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

His early professional career was overseas with the Boston Consulting Group. He returned to Ireland in 1991 to pursue his interest in natural resources. After a short period with Goffs, he joined Kenmare Resources, where he became commercial director until 1992, when he joined John Teeling and Jim Finn with their stable of resource companies based in Clontarf, Dublin.

John Teeling and Jim Finn, in a joint comment, said:

"The death of David Horgan is a deep personal loss to each of us. In over three decades together, we have created, financed, managed and listed a series of early-stage exploration ventures in a variety of natural resources. He revelled in high-stakes, high-risk resources exploration."

"He was fearless, travelling in dangerous territories, traipsing across swamps, or exploring long-abandoned mines. He spoke eight languages. After ten days or so in a new country, he could converse with locals in their own language and actively participate in local culture and traditions."

"Early-stage exploration is very high risk. Our small group had some successes operating gold mines in Zimbabwe, selling off oil licences in Peru and discovering a diamond mine in Botswana."

"The last decade has been hard on explorers. Little or no investor interest in our activities. David had a simple message - no exploration, no mines, no transition to green energy."

"His passing, just as the message seems to be getting traction, is ironic. He is a huge loss for his friends, family, colleagues, shareholders and the wider Irish resource sector."

"Ar dheis de go raibh a ainm".

Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time.

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