Tribute to leading journalist Jim Farrelly
:: Distinguished executive (77) died of cancer
JIM FARRELLY, former distinguished newspaper journalist, author and company executive, has died in hospital after a prolonged battle with cancer.
From Oldcastle, Co Meath, he was aged 77 and came from a farming background.
He was educated at Gilson Endowed School Oldcastle, St Finian’s College Mullingar, UCD, The Milltown Institute of Philosophy, and King’s Inns and was called to the bar in 1977.
After leaving school he initially studied for the priesthood with the Irish Jesuit Community before leaving to pursue and achieve a distinguished career in newspapers.
He joined Independent Newspapers in the early 1970s as a news reporter on the Irish Independent.
During his time he developed the highly successful column ‘Meeting People’ which saw him travel through almost every town and village in the country, reporting on local stories.
On a national level he was involved in many major stories and produced a number of exclusives, including an interview with the former President of Ireland Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh on the night he resigned.
During his early career as a journalist he studied at King’s Inns and became a barrister. However, he devoted his time to newspapers and rarely practiced at the bar.
He left Independent Newspapers to join the fledgling ‘Sunday Tribune’ as news editor. When a new newspaper, the ‘Daily News’, was launched by publisher Hugh McLaughlin, Mr Farrelly was appointed editor. The venture closed after a short period.
He subsequently rejoined Independent Newspapers where he embarked on a distinguished journalism and management career with the company.
He became features editor of the Irish Independent before being appointed managing director of the ‘Drogheda Independent’, part of the INM Group, from 1990-96. He then moved to Tralee to become managing director of the ‘Kerryman’ and overall MD of the INM Group of provincial newspapers from 1996-2000. He was later appointed managing director and editor-inchief of the ‘Sunday Tribune’, a position he held until 2004 when he moved to practice at the bar. He was also author of the highly successful publication ‘Who’s Who in Irish Politics’, which became a standard election work renewed for many years after each general election.
He is survived by his wife Joan, daughter Gemma, son Justin, a well-known Dublin-based photographer, daughter-in-law Megan and grandchildren Jamie, PatLily and Daisy Belle. He was predeceased by another son, Jamie, who died as a result of a tragic road accident. He is also survived by his sisters Elizabeth and Freda, and brothers Michael and Gerard.