Tributes paid following death of farming journalism stalwart

Tributes came in from the worlds of politics and agriculture following the unexpected death of one of the country’s best-known farming journalists.

Seán MacConnell, 66, who retired as agriculture correspondent at the Irish Times last year, passed away yesterday at St James’s Hospital in Dublin.

Mr MacConnell began his journalistic career at the Roscommon Champion in the 60s before joining the Roscommon Herald, Free Press Wexford, and the Irish Press in Dublin.