Liam Smyth obituary: Founder of Smyths Toys and proud Mayo man

Born: September 9th, 1962

Died: July 23rd, 2023

Mayo businessman Liam Smyth, director of multinational chain Smyths Toys, has died aged 60. While he was well known for his role in building up the chain of toy shops, he will be best remembered in Mayo for his community work on behalf of Claremorris. He was instrumental in providing many sporting and leisure facilities in the town, and he coached its water polo club to numerous victories.

He was one of six children born to Birdie and Paddy Smyth in Claremorris. They ran a busy newsagents, tobacconists and toy shop on Main Street. After secondary school at St Colman’s, where classmates remembered him as a kind and thoughtful student with a great love of music, he studied for a B. Comm in what was then UCG, now the University of Galway.

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He moved to Dublin to work with the accountancy firm Haughey & Boland. Former colleagues remembered him as “a bright and positive energy” and great company in the office. He returned to Claremorris in 1987 as a trained accountant and took over the running of the shop, which was joined by Smyths first dedicated toy shop in Galway. With his brothers Tony, Padraig and Tommie, they built the business to more than 200 stores across Austria, Switzerland, Germany, France, the UK and Ireland. Liam ran the baby-care section.

His parents shaped his life in more ways than one. His father was a strong believer in community work and was involved in the local GAA club, the agricultural show and Claremorris Chamber of Commerce. Liam followed his lead and became a key figure in numerous local organisations. But like the rest of the family, he shied away from the spotlight and preferred to work quietly in the background. One friend described him as “a quiet philanthropist” who often donated to causes on the condition that his involvement would not be publicly acknowledged.

His mother Birdie inspired his love of the water, and he became a strong swimmer, winning the Prom Swim in Galway twice. This led to his interest in water polo, and he was a founder member of the Corrib Water Polo Club in Galway in 1980. He competed in the national league for more than 15 years and was remembered as a striker who was always in the right place at the right time. A few days after his funeral, the club gathered on a chilly evening in Salthill for a dip in memory of their founder. “He knew how to make you laugh and was the smartest of us all,” the club said. He became the club’s first senior coach in 1997, “taking us to our first senior cup semi-final in 1999 and again in 2000″.

His coaching record led him to become the international team manager for the Irish water polo junior team, but his family believed the success of the home team was always sweeter than any other victory

At this stage he was coaching Claremorris swimmers to play water polo. He led the Claremorris Under-16 team to their first national title in 1999. His younger brother Joe recalled at his funeral that the final was held on a Sunday afternoon at Claremorris pool, and it was possibly the first time a water polo game was announced at Mass. One of the competitors in that event recalled how Liam’s “passion and enthusiasm had us all thinking we were competing in the most important tournament in the world”.

He recalled how his coach gave up his weekends to drive the competitors to Belfast and Dublin for tournaments. “I remember the fight to get selected to travel in Liam’s car and when you were lucky enough to get picked he’d have stories from his time growing up in Claremorris, his swimming and playing days and his college days. He loved U2 and I remember him blasting out songs like Beautiful Day,” he said in an online tribute. He also recalled how, following one All-Ireland success, Liam made good on his promise to bring the competitors to Malta, something that they still talked about more than 20 years later.

His coaching record led him to become the international team manager for the Irish water polo junior team, but his family believed the success of the home team was always sweeter than any other victory. They said his favourite achievement came in 2002 when, with Paul Gleeson, the Claremorris club achieved the “double double” – U16 and U19 Cups for both girls and boys in the same year.

‘Endless work’

Claremorris Leisure Centre paid tribute to his vision in pushing for a new leisure centre for the town in 2006. “His endless work and dedication made this happen with the opening of the new pool in 2009,” the centre said in a statement after his death. “During his busy schedule, he always found time for the leisure centre, working quietly and unassumingly.”

Claremorris GAA club said success had not changed the Smyth family and that this was down to their parents and their home town. “Liam loved this town and community with a passion,” the club said in a statement. “He was very much the ‘quiet man’ who provided so much support and advice behind the scenes. The amount of kind deeds he rendered in this community will never be known and Liam would want it no other way. He was never one to seek the limelight, but he was the ‘go to’ person for many clubs and individual causes over the years.”

He was an enthusiastic and always hopeful supporter of the Mayo GAA team and passed on his love of football to his children. He and his wife Anne had five sons and he took great pride in watching them progress through underage football. He was treasurer of the Claremorris Town Hall Theatre and was remembered there as “a dear friend” who played a pivotal role in developing the venue to what it is today.

Claremorris Chamber of Commerce said he always strove to improve the town’s economy and amenities for the benefit of all who lived here. “With his brothers Anthony, Padraig and Tommie, together they accomplished what very few Irish businesses achieve: they grew one shop in a small town into a global giant.”

No matter what committee he was on or what he was involved with in business or who he was talking to or negotiating with, it was always, ‘how can we move things forward?’

—  Joe Smyth, Liam's brother

Liam fell ill with cancer last year and his brother Joe recalled in his eulogy how, as he went through his treatment, “nothing gave him more joy than to say, ‘let’s go for a spin around the town’”. He would “beam with pride” when they passed by the improved facilities. He recalled how his brother was very proud to have served as president of the chamber of commerce but had to be cajoled to join “because, believe it or not, Liam was actually quite shy under it all”.

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He said Liam’s genius lay in always moving things forward. “No matter what committee he was on or what he was involved with in business or who he was talking to or negotiating with, it was always, ‘how can we move things forward?’” he said. “His determination always won through.”

But of all his achievements, he was at his happiest when he was with his family. Friends recalled how he spoke with such pride about Anne and their children and the joy they brought him.

Liam Smyth was predeceased by his parents, Paddy and Birdie, and is survived by his wife Anne, sons Ben, Harry, Sam, Josh and Alex, brothers Tony, Padraig, Tommie and Joe, sister Maura Brennan and extended family.