"A walking database" was how one colleague yesterday affectionately described Mr Colm Donlon, who died suddenly last Friday after fronting the IDA's press office for more than 20 years.
Mr Donlon, who was 58, had been manager of press and public relations for the IDA since 1986. He held responsibility for IDA's media presence both at home and abroad and, in this position, played a central role in developing the Republic's image as an attractive investment location both before and during the Celtic Tiger years.
Colleagues acknowledge that facts and figures were his life-blood.
This ability to manage and distil layers of information with the greatest of ease was most recently in evidence just last week when Mr Donlon managed the launch of a €69 million investment by respected industrial research institution Bell Labs.
The announcement, which exactly matched the IDA's plan to move the Republic's share of foreign direct investment into a higher-quality sphere, saw Mr Donlon in his element.
He was, by all accounts, getting as much of a kick out of his job last week as he did when he started almost a quarter of a century ago. This "buzz" did not extend to a need for personal congratulation however. When the announcement was well-received in newspapers, he took no credit himself but rather told the rest of the IDA's staff to "take a bow" in an email.
"Modest" is a word that repeatedly crops up in tributes from those who knew him, closely followed by "positive" and "genuine".
In his role as press manager, Mr Donlon liaised with all IDA client companies through good times and bad, as well as with the media and other government agencies and departments.
A native of Drogheda, Co Louth, Mr Donlon began his career in the 1970s in London, where he worked as a teacher of woodwork and metalwork.
He returned home in 1973 to run the Catholic Youth Council programme for youth services development, before joining the IDA in 1980 as a press officer. He took on full responsibility for press relations six years later.
The Tánaiste, Ms Harney, summed up the thoughts of many yesterday when she described Mr Donlon as a "genial man who was utterly professional in everything he did".
Extending her sympathy to Mr Donlon's wife, Betty, and his daughter, June, Ms Harney said he was at the heart of everything that happened in IDA.
"His skill and expertise in highlighting the IDA's message both and home and abroad was a magnificent asset to the organisation and indeed to Ireland."
IDA chief executive Mr Seán Dorgan echoed this by remarking that Mr Donlon was "part of the absolute centre of the place". He described him as "positive, optimistic and genuine", adding that "he made things as easy as he possibly could for everyone who dealt with him."
