Staff at Ergo were told the news just after US investor Presidio completed an acquisition of the business for an estimated €100m. Mr Purdy was aged 63. Ergo, which Mr Purdy co-founded in 1993 with Tim Sheehy, initially sold ink and other supplies. Born into a working-class family in Dublin’s Finglas, his father was a shipwright with Guinness who died when John Purdy was still in his teens. Paul McCann told staff today: “It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of John Purdy.

Source: Irish Independent January 23, 2026 19:09 UTC