THE PROLIFIC business director and former solicitor James Osborne has died in Ireland at the age of 68.
The Ryanair director and former chairman of Independent News and Media (INM) died in Donegal, Ireland last week, August 17, according to RTÉ.
He was highly regarded as a non-executive director of a number of well-known companies and at the time of his death he was chairman of Eason, an Irish newsagent and booksellers, and had been serving on boards including Carrolls Holdings, Golden Vale and Adare.
He was also a former managing partner of A&L Goodbody solicitors, who have offices in Dublin, London, New York and Belfast.
Mr Osborne established the firm’s New York practice and became managing partner in 1982, at the age of 32.
He then left the firm in 1994 to cut a formidable career in the boardroom, where he earned a reputation as a scrupulous and forthright operator, according to The Times.
Mr Osborne was a close friend to the late Ryanair founder Tony Ryan and was legal advisor to Mr Ryan's Guinness Peat Aviation aircraft sales company.
When chairman of INM, he was voted off the board after less than a year as businessman Denis O'Brien took over the media group from Tony O'Reilly.
Commenting on Mr Osborne’s passing, Liam Hanly, managing director of Eason, said: “It is with great sadness that we have learned about the passing of our Chairman Mr James Osborne.
"The Board, management and all the staff at Eason would like to express our gratitude to an exceptional friend and colleague.
"Our sympathies and condolences are with his family and friends at this time.”
A spokesperson for Ryanair said: “The Board and people of Ryanair express their deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Mr James Osborne, who served as a Director of Ryanair for the past 21 years, on his untimely passing.
"He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. May he rest in peace.”
Mr Osborne, who was born in Devon and raised in Donegal before attending Trinity College Dublin, is survived by his partner and family.
A memorial for Mr Osborne will take place later this week in the Examination Hall in Trinity College Dublin.
See More: Donegal, Featured, Irish, James Osborne, Ryanair
