ONE MORE THING:AS ONE door closes, another often opens and so it has proved for lawyer James Osborne.

Osborne was appointed as chairman of Monaghan Mushrooms on May 29th just a month or so before he received the elbow from the same role at Independent News Media from Denis O’Brien and Dermot Desmond.

“It was a busy late spring for me,” Osborne told me this week.

“You’ll probably laugh at this but they had a requirement for an independent chairman.

“Initially, I wasn’t going to take it because of INM but it’s a very interesting company and I’m very glad now that I did.”

Founded in 1981, Monaghan Mushrooms is jointly owned by Ronnie Wilson and Donegal Creameries.

“I’ve known Ronnie for years,” Osborne said. “It’s a well-run business with a big presence in the UK and a large compost business in Belgium.”

Osborne is certainly kept busy. He is also chairman of books retail and wholesale group Eason, and Centric Health, and a non -executive director with Ryanair and James Hardie.

He is also a consultant with law firm AL Goodbody, having joined it in 1973 and previously served as its managing partner.

“I’m kept busy; it’s all good.”