Philanthropist and businessman Martin Naughton, founder of Glen Dimplex, has died aged 87. He was known for building one of the world's largest manufacturers of domestic heating appliances and for his extensive charitable work.
Business and Philanthropy
Mr Naughton founded Glen Dimplex, headquartered in Co Dublin, with facilities in the UK, Europe, the US and China. He and his wife Carmel were honoured by Pope Francis for their “outstanding philanthropy” in education and the arts.
In 2007, he donated £1 million to Belfast’s Lyric Theatre, described at the time as the single biggest personal gift ever to an arts organisation in Northern Ireland. Through the Naughton Foundation, he donated 25 million euro to Trinity College Dublin in 2018, supporting scholarship schemes for Leaving Cert students in Ireland.
Tributes
Provost at Trinity Dr Linda Doyle said: “Martin Naughton’s legacy at Trinity will be felt for generations to come. It’s been my great honour and privilege to have known such an inspiring and generous man.”
Tánaiste Simon Harris paid tribute to the “exceptional businessman, an incredible philanthropist and an all-round thoroughly good human being”. “He was witty, he was sincere, he was kind, and his loss will be felt immensely by so, so many, most particularly his family,” Mr Harris said.
“As the founder of Glen Dimplex, he built one of Ireland’s great manufacturing success stories from a small operation into a global business. In doing so he created and sustained thousands of jobs. Beyond his business achievements, his and his wife Carmel’s philanthropy through the Naughton Foundation and their support for education, the arts, and peace on this island left a lasting mark on Irish life. His contribution will live on for generations and generations in our country, in his generous charitable work through the Foundation, the Naughton Scholarship, the contribution to education institutions, and of course his brilliant business legacy.”
