February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Egan, who unexpectedly relinquished his post in Dublin just before Christmas, 2002, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to police.
He was 73 and is survived by his wife, Maureen and five children.
Egan, a billionaire and co-founder of the now multinational data storage company, EMC Corp. had been suffering from terminal lung cancer and was also being treated for emphysema, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Egan, appointed to the Phoenix Park post by President George W Bush, cited “personal reasons” for leaving the Dublin job before returning to his home in Hopkinton, Mass.
Reports at the time indicated that Egan had tendered his resignation to the Bush administration because he was frustrated with the limitations of his diplomatic job.
Egan’s job in Dublin was shaped in large part by the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. and its aftermath.
He presented his credentials to President Mary McAleese on Sept. 10, 2001. The next day, Egan’s first full day on the job, disaster struck.
The first sight that most Irish had of the new ambassador was of Egan reading notes attached to floral tributes left outside the U.S. embassy building.
During his term, Egan did not attain as high a profile as some of his predecessors, especially with regard to the Northern Ireland situation.
“During his short tenure [Egan] did not make the same impact as his immediate predecessors, Mr. Mike Sullivan and Ms. Jean Kennedy Smith,” the Irish Times reported after his resignation.
Egan did, however, create ripples, most notably in the British press, when he attended the Sinn F