Patrick D. Rowan
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Patrick D. Rowan, one of our founders, on 7th October 2026.
Patrick was born in 1945 and went on to become a highly respected solicitor.
He studied Law in Trinity College Dublin and the Law Society of Ireland. He subsequently attended U.C.D. where he obtained an M.A. in Political Economy and Financial Services Law.
After college he worked in the Department of Finance in Dublin from 1968 to 1971 as an Administrative Officer in Government Buildings, working on Credit and Economic Policy and Economic Analysis.
He also served with distinction in the 2nd Anti-Aircraft Battery of the FCA in the 1960s, which service grounded a very disciplined approach to the legal practice which he founded in 1976.
Patrick founded the firm of Rowan & Co. Solicitors, based at Fitzwilliam Square in Dublin, a firm which he built from the ground up at a very difficult time in the economic history of Ireland. The firm grew quickly and earned an excellent reputation in corporate and commercial law, with a client base that included a significant number of public and private companies. Under his guidance, the firm built a strong reputation for integrity and excellence.
He practised in the area of Corporate & Financial Services Law and, as the Irish economy expanded rapidly through the 1990s, Rowan & Co. merged with McKeever & Son in 1995 to form McKeever Rowan Solicitors. Under his guidance, the merged practice relocated to Dublin’s International Financial Services Centre and Patrick’s steady hand on the tiller steered the new entity for many successful years. Indeed it continues to operate today as one of the IFSC’s longest established legal practices.
The merger stood as a testament to the strength and standing of the firm he founded, and the calibre of practice he built at Fitzwilliam Square.
Patrick’s built a career which was defined by an in-depth knowledge of the law, and a forensic approach to advising his clients, leaving no stone unturned. His professional life was also marked by his training of many Apprentices and young solicitors, a role he took to with pedagogic zeal. Many of those now fill important roles in the legal services industry and beyond.
He retired from the firm in 2014 at which time he took up a private role as a Business & Corporate Consultant. He also took to learning Arabic as a new challenge after retirement.
Beyond his private practice, Patrick held the distinguished position of Honorary Consul to Pakistan for many years, a role that reflected the trust placed in him by the Pakistani State and the esteem in which he was held within Dublin’s diplomatic and legal circles. The role came to a natural close when Pakistan opened an Embassy in Dublin in 2001. In this capacity, he supported Pakistani nationals and business interests in Ireland, fostered bilateral ties, and represented the interests of the Consulate with great pride, care and diplomacy.
This role brought him on to the Board of Trustees of the Yasin (Pakistan-Ireland) Education Foundation, which funded postgraduate education programmes, enabling women from Pakistan to come to Ireland each year to continue their studies. He strongly supported the Foundation’s vision of expanding educational opportunities for Pakistani women, and travelled to Pakistan to help build relationships and seek alignment with mainstream universities in support of this important initiative.
In the years after his retirement, Patrick continued to draw on his corporate and commercial expertise as a business consultant, with a focus on corporate compliance, corporate governance, and company structuring.
He will be sadly missed by his widow Nessa and children and his wide circle of friends and colleagues.
