The indefatigable Con Howard, diplomat, bon viveur, culture lover, champion of causes ranging from St Brendan to the Irish of the American Civil War, with links from Australia to the Merriman Summer School, is retiring after six years as the first honorary consul for Sri Lanka in Ireland.
A diplomat who served in Boston, Washington and London, he retired from Iveagh House some years ago, took up the honorary consulship and devoted himself to a myriad cultural/literary/historic causes. He is known far and wide. To mark his retirement as honorary consul the Sri Lankan ambassador to Ireland, Sarath Wickremesinghe, who is based in London, is organising a party in Dublin on Monday night. Footage of an RTE documentary, Con in Sri Lanka, which has not been transmitted, will be shown. No doubt tales will be told - there are thousands concerning Con and his many adventures around the globe. Those who wish to follow in his footsteps, however, have been thwarted; the new honorary consul is likely to be Dr D. A. Samarakoon, a property man with an Irish wife and homes in London, Dublin and Tipperary.