By Andy Spearman

When Brian Browning died on Monday, the Drogheda area lost one of its true characters. In his death notice on RIP.ie Brian is described simply as a “local business man” but he was so much more than that.

The Brian I knew was certainly a businessman, and a very astute one at that, but he was also a very caring individual who encouraged others if he could, he especially liked to help young people as they started out on their careers including my son Denis after whom he never failed to ask in the 20 or so years since.

Brian arrived in Drogheda at a time when I was working in Dublin, but when I came to my senses and gave up the commute, I soon got to know this larger than life character who seemed to make a hobby of buying pubs in the town and turning them into successful businesses.

Brian was a great listener, an important attribute for someone in the hospitality sector, and he and I had a long chat in Clarke’s pub one evening about 14 years ago after I had left the job in Dublin and was looking around for something else to do.

The idea of starting a local news website grew out of that conversation and, after a few hiccups, Drogheda Life appeared online just before the next Christmas. Brian was enthusiastic and very encouraging from the start and he was among the first local businesses to advertise.  

I remember he would always negotiate the price of advertising for the Integral Gym, of which he was co-owner, down so I would give him a higher quotation and negotiate down to the price I was looking for.

He was delighted when I told him about this. “Good man Andy” he said. “We’ll make a businessman of you yet!” That was one of his few failures.

Brian lived his life at a million miles an hour and there is no doubt that this got some people’s backs up, but keeping abreast of everything in his ever increasing business empire in Drogheda meant he had to take on huge levels of work.

Brian brought similar levels of energy to his social life and he was always the life and soul of the party whether it was a group of four or five sipping pints at the bar in Clarkes or Gleesons or the Weavers or at a big celebration.

I was lucky enough to attend his 50^th party where I met many members of his large family from Dublin central and Finglas of whom he was immensely proud – and they of him.

He and his 12 siblings had a tough enough childhood, but the love between them, which I witnessed that night, was inspirational.

Brian was also a very charitable man and liked to help whenever he could. His year as President of the Drogheda Lions Club was one of the most successful in the history of the club.

Brian was just 64 years of age when he died on Monday, he had packed a lot into those years and he will be remembered with fondness by many people in Drogheda, Dublin and also in Portugal where he spent some considerable time in recent years.

Brian will be sadly missed by his loving wife Catherine, his daughter Laura, son Lukas, Catherine’s son Benjamin and daughters Hannah and Sophie, his sisters Collette and Rita, brothers Eamon, Donal, Noel, Paul, Declan, Gerry, Vincent, Kieran, Seamus and Damien, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, mother-in-law Maureen, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. Condolences to you all.

Brian is currently reposing at Townley’s Funeral Home, Crosslanes, Drogheda (A92 XN75), his funeral Mass is on Saturday morning at 10.30am in The Church of the Immaculate Conception Termonfeckin and can be viewed live on www.termonfechinparish.ie/webcam

Cheers Brian, rest in peace my friend, you were one in a million.