Sunday Independent editor dies, aged 69

The editor of the Sunday Independent, Aengus Fanning, died this morning. He was 69 years old.

Ireland’s longest serving newspaper editor had been battling cancer for some time.

The Tralee man began editing the Sunday Independent in 1984. He is survived by his wife Anne and three sons.

In a statement, the chief executive of Independent News and Media, Gavin O'Reilly, described him as "possibly the greatest and most instinctively brilliant editor that Irish journalism has ever produced".

He said that Mr Fanning will be a huge loss to Irish journalism, but an even bigger loss to his family.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said that Mr Fanning was "a charismatic and significant media figure, who ensured the paper remained relevant and influential".

The National Union of Journalists' Irish secretary Séamus Dooley said: "It is with great regret that I learned of the death of Aengus Fanning.

"On behalf of the NUJ, I extend sympathy to Anne, to his family, to his colleagues at the Sunday Independent and to his wide circles of friends.

"Aengus was a journalist of skill and imagination who brought his unique style and colour to the editorship of the Sunday Independent. He was loyal to his journalists and commanded in turn their loyalty, affection and respect."