Mourners gathered on Thursday morning for the funeral of former UTV political editor, Ken Reid.
The veteran journalist passed away in hospital last week, aged 69, after a long illness.
His funeral took place at St Patrick’s Parish Church, on Castle Street in Ballymena, at 11am this morning, with a private cremation afterwards.
Politicians and former UTV colleagues were among Mr Reid’s family and loved ones who gathered at the church to celebrate the life of one of Northern Ireland’s most well-known political correspondents.
Those pictured entering the church included the DUP’s Edwin Poots, the SDLP’s Mark Durkan, UTV presenters Paul Clark and Rose Neill, and former BBC political journalists Stephen Walker and Mark Devenport.
A mainstay of television screens here for several decades, he had retired from UTV in 2021 after 27 years with the broadcaster.
In 2017, he revealed he had been diagnosed with a form of leukaemia.
Following his diagnosis, he campaigned for blood charity Leukaemia & Lymphoma NI, becoming a patron for the group in 2023.
Mr Reid began his media career at the News Letter, where he served as sports editor, and later he was the editor of the Sunday News, from 1984 to 1987.
He then took on a role with the Cork Examiner from 1987 to 1994 before joining UTV, where as political editor he covered some of Northern Ireland’s biggest moments, including the 1998 Belfast Agreement.
Ken Reid at UTV on December 12th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)
A funeral notice describes him as “much loved husband of Liz, loving father of Gareth, Sarah and Sophie, father-in-law of Keith and devoted granda of Summer and Hugo, dear brother of Lynn and brother- in-law of Stephen”.
Amongst a sea of tributes following his death last week, First Minister Michelle O’Neill recalled a “true giant in local journalism” while deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said he was “a well known face to so many generations”.
A statement posted on X last Thursday read: “The Reid family would like to thank everyone for the lovely tributes and kind words
“They have been a great source to comfort.”