John McGahern - 1934-2006

PRESIDENT Mary McAleese, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Minister for Arts John O’Donoghue, along with figures from the arts and literary worlds, led tributes yesterday to the novelist, John McGahern.

He died suddenly in Dublin’s Mater Hospital after a long battle with cancer. He was 71.

Mr McGahern had “made an enormous contribution to our self-understanding as a people”, the president said. “With the passing of John McGahern, Ireland has lost an outstanding literary talent.”