THE man who put West Cork on the map might be too large an epitaph for the late Charles McCarthy, but it wouldn’t be too far off the mark.

That’s because for almost 60 years he was to the forefront of its promotion.

Charlie (82), as he was better known to all and sundry, had an energy about him. His passing on Saturday October 24, after a short illness, was peaceful and in the loving embrace of his family.

Charlie, his beloved wife Noreen, and their five children lived at North Street in Skibbereen, and daily he could be seen smiling and chatting with people as he made his way to and from Charles McCarthy Estate Agents and Auctioneers, at Bridge Street.

Charlie had a word for everyone. He was, in a way, a kind of everyman because he mixed with so many people in so many different social, sporting and community circumstances.

As his friend, David Puttnam said: “Charlie was… just Charlie. A joy to bump into; always positive, always funny, always smart as a whip. Like the rest of West Cork, Patsy and I will really miss him – he was special.”

He had a directness too that was inspiring. And his abilities to meet the needs of discerning visitors and locals looking for their forever home was legendary.

Charlie was the go-to guy when local, national and international reporters were following up on the latest Hollywood star to discover, and indeed recover, old properties in West Cork.

Hundreds of people attended his requiem mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Skibbereen on Tuesday, and hundreds more took to the condolences pages of RIP to let his family – Noreen and his children Eimear, Charles, Maeve, Claire and Conor - know how much they valued his friendship, his business acumen, and his standing within the community.

Delivering his eulogy, Maeve said: “If I had to sum Charlie up in a phrase, it would be joie de vivre. He absolutely loved life. He always said he only felt old when he looked in the mirror.

“He loved our mum, Noreen, his family, his friends, sport and West Cork. He was a lovable rogue. And his irreverence was infectious. You could kill him sometimes, but you could never stay cross with him for long.”

Undoubtedly, Charlie was charming, funny and wise. His most often quoted refrain, “A dumb priest never got a parish,” became a motto to live by.

Charlie grew up at 46 Bridge Street, where his dad ran a garage, and he quickly realised that being a mechanic wasn’t his true calling. Instead, he ran a cinema for a while until his friend, the former Fine Gael TD and solicitor, Jim O’Keeffe, asked him if he had ever considered becoming an auctioneer.

After doing a bit of research, Charlie resolutely made up his mind, secured his auctioneer’s licence, and never looked back.

Over the next 58 years, he built Charles McCarthy Estate Agents into one of the leading agencies in West Cork through hard work, grit and determination.

“Charlie was a consummate dealmaker,” said Maeve. “He loved the cut and thrust of a negotiation and the satisfaction of getting a deal over the line. I had the privilege of working alongside him for over 20 years, and I learned more from him than I could from any course or textbook.

“Sport was a huge part of his life, as were the friendships and fun that went with it. Thursday afternoons and Sunday mornings were sacrosanct: reserved for golf with his buddies.

“He took real pride in his community and was a great club man. He was a member of the Lions Club, Fine Gael and O’Donovan Rossa GAA. He served as president of Skibbereen RFC, and was both captain and president of Skibbereen Golf Club.

“Over the years there were many memorable trips abroad to play golf, as well as great days away following Cork football, Munster and the Irish rugby team.

“For nearly 50 years, he and his close friend John Field had seats side by side at Ireland’s home internationals, first at Lansdowne Road and then at the Aviva. And no rugby match was ever complete without a phone call with Maurice O’Keeffe to go over the details.”

Charlie loved horse racing too and, in the early 2000s, he joined a racing syndicate with some of his great friends. “Owning a share in a racehorse was practically a national pastime in those halcyon days,” said Maeve. “To be honest, the success was limited, but it combined two things he loved: a day out at the races and the company of good friends.”

For someone so rooted in a small corner of the southwest coast of Ireland, Maeve said her dad had “a broad outlook and a curious mind”.

“As a dad, he was a man of his time. I don’t think he ever changed a nappy in his life, but you always knew you were loved. He was immensely proud of all his children and grandchildren. He believed in building you up rather than tearing you down, and that is something we will always carry with us,” Maeve said.

“But it is love for our mum that is one of the great legacies he leaves us. They were a couple in every sense of the word. Together, they built a life that lasted 54 years, full of family, friendship and laughter.

“When I think of Dad at his happiest, I see him and Mum sitting at the gable end of the house in Tralispean, a glass of wine in hand, watching the sun go down, chatting and laughing after another great day.”