Tributes paid as former editor dies

THE death has occurred of the well-known journalist, Seamus McConville, who was editor of The Kerryman newspaper from 1974 to 1988.

Aged 79, Mr McConville battled a serious illness for many years and passed away at the weekend in the Bon Secours Hospital, Tralee.

Mr McConville did his journalistic training in The Meath Chronicle and worked for the Irish News Agency, in Dublin, before moving to Tralee to join The Kerryman in 1957.

An accomplished newsman, he became notable for his coverage of major stories in the south-west, an area of the country that he knew intimately.

Mr McConville was also highly esteemed as a mentor to many young journalists who worked under him, several of whom who later took up senior positions in the national media.

Paying tribute last night, the current editor of The Kerryman, Declan Malone, said Seamus McConville was held in the highest regard throughout the county and particularly in the newspaper where he was a towering figure for a great many years.

Mr McConville continued to write a column in the Kerryman newspaper until recently.

Mr McConville is survived by his widow, Dolores, son, Sean, and daughters, Denise, Marissa and Fiona.