Statement by Fianna Fáil Leader Micheál Martin TD

Published on: 17 January 2012


I am saddened to learn of the death of Aengus Fanning.

I want to extend my sympathies to Aengus’s family, his friends and to his colleagues in the Sunday Independent.

Aengus Fanning was a larger than life character who established himself in his own right as an institution in the Irish media.

He was a passionate, opinionated and fearless journalist who had a great news sense and a love of top-quality writing.

Aengus was never content to just report on events.  He was an opinion former and someone with a deep commitment not just too Irish journalism but to the positive development of our society.

He had a long and distinguished career before being appointed Editor of the Sunday Independent in 1984.  In this role, Aengus truly came into his own.

His ideas, his innovative leadership and his commitment to hard work helped make the Sunday Independent a market-leader and required reading for anyone with an interest in public affairs.

Over the years, I got to know to Aengus well and enjoyed his company immensely.

As a person, he was charismatic, he was warm and he carried his success lightly.

As a journalist, he was incisive and he was tough but, he was always fair.

He could smile at himself and others.  He was always engaging.

I know he was immensely proud of his Kerry roots and we shared a common link with UCC.

In his youth, he was a footballer of note and when I met Aengus, the conversation and banter was invariably about sport and the fortunes of our respective counties.

He also had a huge interest in Cricket and he would become quite animated when discussing this.

He was a big hearted, energetic man who made a large contribution to Irish life.

My thoughts today are with his wife Anne and his children, Dion, Evan and Steve.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh ainm dhilís.

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