Dr Frank Mitchell, who died on Tuesday evening, was being mourned yesterday as not only one of Ireland's most eminent scholars but also as a man who communicated his knowledge and enthusiasm to people of all ages and backgrounds.
"He would be best defined, not as a nationalist, not a republican, but as a patriot," said Dr William Watts, retired provost of Trinity College, a former student and a friend of Dr Mitchell. "He was tremendously interested in everything to do with Ireland. He was a very great scientist and one of Ireland's leading people.
"He was very interested in the landscape and man in the landscape. He had an amazing eye for landscape . . . He was still working like mad. He had just finished a paper on Valentia Island and sent it to the publishers. . . when I saw him last he was very interested in Mellifont Abbey and the drainage system the monks had."
Prof Michael Herity, president of the Royal Irish Academy, a position formerly held by Dr Mitchell, paid tribute to his contribution to the renewal of the academy. He said Dr Mitchell was one of those "fortunate scholars" who could convey to interested members of the public the results of his work "without loss of scholarly integrity".
A professor of archaeology, Prof George Eogan, took students every summer in the 1970s and 1980s to Townley Hall, the Mitchells' home in Co Meath, to excavate the Dowth site at Bru na Boinne. He said: "He was an incredibly stimulating man. He encouraged so many people in several fields. He really opened up paleobotanical studies in Ireland, examining strata in bogs to give an idea of climate and the nature of settlement of people.
"He was very pleasant, very human, incredibly encouraging and a great listener. He had the facility of explaining complex issues to the layman, a great communicator at many levels."
Dr Michael Conry, of Teagasc, another former student, worked with Dr Mitchell on Valentia Island last summer. "I was privileged to do my PhD with him in Trinity. He directed me on to protecting the environment. That's 30 years ago, long before it became an `in' word.
"He was a great leader and a great scientist. He was the last of the people who could embrace the different strands of science - geology, glacial geology, quaternary studies, paleobotany, soil science and the importance of the environment. He is a big loss and a credit to the country."
Dr Frank O'Reilly, Chancellor of Trinity College, had been a colleague and friend of Dr Mitchell's for many years. "He was one of the most eminent people in the country, and a great personal friend. He will be very, very sadly missed."