Passing of renowned photographer Pat Mantle

IT’S the quiet ones you have to watch. Photographer Pat Mantle was diffident and respectful to a fault, but as a press photographer, he had the mettle needed for the job.

In fact, Skibbereen resident Pat, who died on August 22nd last, was front and centre in lots of big and breaking stories in the UK.

In 1977, for example, he was instrumental in having charges brought against Arthur Scargill – of obstructing a police officer during a strike – dismissed.

The photographs Pat took for his paper, the Morning Star, were deemed ‘vital’ because they showed the Yorkshire miners’ president being pushed from behind.

Pat was also part of the pack that followed Christine Keeler around during the Profumo affair and here, in West Cork, he was one of the first photographers to cover the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier in 1996.

His passing has been met with sadness locally, including all those who knew and respected him at The Southern Star – a newspaper he kept supplied with photographs that expertly illustrated stories of local and national interest. Con Downing, former editor of the newspaper, summarised Pat’s diffidence, saying: ‘He was always obliging and good, having gone through old-school training in London. He knew exactly what was needed to illustrate a story and was the go-to man in Ballydehob for local events.

‘He was always very mannerly and an interesting conversationalist,’ said Con. ‘And he was deeply embedded in the local community in Ballydehob.’

The Southern Star’s former correspondent in Ballydehob, Noel Coakley, was his friend.

He recalls how the former owner and editor of the newspaper, Liam O’Regan, informed him: ‘You have a professional photographer in your midst.’

After Pat relocated from Dunmanway to Ballydehob, he met and fell in love with Phil O’Flynn, who ran a beautiful little antique shop called Over the Mantle. It was around this time, 10 years ago, that the couple married to formalise their relationship. It was done in the face of Phil’s terminal illness. And it is said that Pat never fully recovered from her death. He later moved into Skibbereen.

‘Over the years, we became close friends,’ said Noel. ‘Pat was born in 1940, and was 83, but he would never admit his age. He always said that I, at the age of 81, was the eldest of the two. He was eccentric, but his family, including his daughter Kate, appreciated his eccentricity, and I, for my part, was drawn to his extraordinary career.

‘He was an out and out communist and even went on visits to Russia. And then there’s the fact that he worked for the Morning Star, which was originally founded in 1930 as the Daily Worker by the Communist Party of Great Britain.

‘In his early days he even drove one of those Russian cars, a Lada, and it was constantly breaking down, but his commitment to the cause was absolute,’ said Noel.

‘Being a bit of a socialist myself, we’d have lots of debates, and from time to time, he’d have colourful visitors, like trade unionists, visiting him in Ballydehob.’

One union that took note of Pat’s contribution to the newspaper industry was the National Union of Journalists, which granted him a lifetime membership in recognition of his distinguished service.