Joe O'MahoneySend a message to

Joe O'Mahoney

Joe O'Mahoney

Kevin's office was a couple down from mine on D-floor and the mood of that floor would lighten if his door was open, which invariably, it was. It was a rare occasion, perhaps only when rushing to a lecture, that I wouldn't stop for a chat with Kevin, and it was rarer - I can't remember one occasion in 17 years - when he made me feel I wasn't welcome! My last conversation with Kevin was like all the others. He was chipper, interested and intelligent. I told him 'you're one of those people that I learn something from every time I talk to you'. This wasn't just true of his specialist subject but also politics, music, art, and, well, pretty much everything. As was often the case, I'd ask what he was reading or listening to, and (unlike my own reports), he'd give a concise, insightful critique in two or three minutes. Despite his memory and intellect, Kevin would never talk down to anyone - which is one reason his students loved him so much. Kevin asked how my weekend was and I mentioned I was rediscovering 1980s electronica, to which he replied 'like who?'. For some reason my mind went blank and the only band I could remember were 'Strawberry Switchblade'. Instead of laughing, Kevin led me through a fascinating story of how the band fitted in the historic Scottish punk scene. As we were both historians by training (his longer than mine!) it was a real pleasure for me to browse his books while Kevin reeled off insights about any that I commented on. Most recently, he lent me Crimea by Orlando Figes. It's currently by my bedside table. I'll miss him a lot.

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