13 OBITUARIES President leads tributes to scholar


President Michael D Higgins led the tributes to NUJ life member Dr Brendan Ó Cathaoir (78) who died last month at the Blackrock Clinic, Dublin following a long illness.


Brendan was a former Irish Times journalist,


historian, and a student of theology. A sub editor, he is remembered for his scholarship in editing the Famine Diaries, published in The Irish Times to mark the 150 anniversary of the Great Famine and subsequently as a book in 1998.


His biography, John Blake Dillon, Young Irelander,


was published by Irish Academic Press in 1990. He also edited The Diary of Elizabeth Dillon, wife of John Dillon MP (son of John Blake Dillon) and a leading advocate of Irish Home Rule at Westminster for 40 years but was too ill to attend the launch last June.


In his review, Frank Callanan described the book


as “a considerable editorial feat”. “The diaries of Elizabeth Dillon are copious, running


to 38 journals, and have been rendered down by the editor without any loss of relevant political or social content. “The editing, and annotations, reflect consummate skill and mastery of the materials of the journals, by the late Brendan Ó Cathaoir”. In his tribute to Brendan, President Higgins said he “had a special talent for bringing the voices of the past to life for a wide audience, with great eye for detail and accuracy.” President Higgins also commented that at a time that Ireland will commemorate the centenaries of some very difficult chapters in our history, “Brendan Ó Cathaoir’s insights and analysis will be sorely missed.” Brendan was a native of Springfield, Co Clare and


lived for many years in Bray, Co Wicklow but remained loyal to his native county and is buried in Kilnaboy Cemetery, Clare. He is survived by his wife Eva (Natt), daughters Emer, Patrick and Katharina, and grandchildren, Oisín and Aisling.


Marian Finucane: a champion of journalism


The death of Marian Finucane came as a shock to family, friends, colleagues and listeners. For NUJ members, Marian’s death marked the loss of a champion of journalism and journalists. In a tribute to Marian, Séamus Dooley, Assistant


General Secretary, said: “Marian Finucane made an immense contribution to Irish broadcasting. A pioneering journalist she brought grace, skill, charm, curiosity and wisdom to her work but her outstanding


quality was empathy. “Marian had a genuine interest in people, combined with an innate sense of fairness and social justice. As a journalist she blazed a trail for women in broadcasting and was unfailingly supportive of younger colleagues, especially women seeking to enter journalism. “With her death Ireland has lost a unique voice which shall be missed.”


Tributes are paid to Tom Kelly


Warm tributes have been paid to former RTÉ journalist Tom Kelly (Tomás Ó Ceallaigh) following a short illness. He had taken early retirement from RTÉ and was pursuing his love of travel when diagnosed with cancer. Tom was former officer of the RTÉ Newsroom chapel and a champion of cycling who promoted the original Bike to Work scheme in RTÉ. He was a passionate campaigner for the rights of cyclists and an early advocate of workplace incentives to promote cycling. During his career in RTÉ, Tom worked on a number of programmes, including Marketplace and Nationwide, and was an energetic and committed midlands correspondent from 1992 to 1996.


His successor as midlands correspondent, Ciaran Mullooly, described the news of his former colleague’s death as “shocking and sad”. In a tweet Ciaran described Tom as “a real


gentleman, a lover of the environment and the Irish language – and above all his bike!” Press Ombudsman Peter Feeney tweeted: “Sad to


hear of the death of Tom Kelly, former RTÉ Midland Correspondent. He started working with RTÉ in the mid-1980s as a reporter on the business programme Marketplace. Along with Bryan Dobson and Cathal Mac Coille he was a great advocate for cycling in Dublin.”


Announcing his death, Tom’s family said he had


donated his body to UCD School of Medicine, a gesture typical of Tom’s generosity of spirit.


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