20 familiar faces we bid a sad farewell to in 2024

There were losses from the spheres of journalism, politics, sport, music and more.

Ken Reid, died November 20, aged 69

In his three-decades-long career in TV broadcasting, former UTV political editor Ken Reid was a familiar face on our screens.

In 2017, he revealed he had been diagnosed with a form of leukaemia. He was also diabetic but continued to work until his retirement from UTV in 2021.

Remembered as a true giant of journalism in Northern Ireland, among his political scoops was breaking the news in 2008 that the then DUP leader Ian Paisley was to step down as First Minister and party leader.

Well known for his love of sport, Mr Reid was a fan of his local side Cliftonville, as well as Everton FC and Ballymena Rugby Club.

He started his career at the News Letter in the late 1970s and then became sports editor of the now-defunct Sunday News in the mid-1980s. Ken’s coverage of politics for UTV began in 1994, the year of the IRA and loyalist ceasefires.

Trevor Campbell, died November 21, aged 78

The Downtown Radio DJ, who was affectionately known as Big T and was regarded as ‘radio royalty’ and a legend in broadcasting, passed away in hospital after a short illness.

One of Downtown’s original presenting team in 1976, he was a familiar voice on the airwaves for almost half a century and had presented his show on Downtown Country just a week before his death.

Mr Campbell travelled the world and interviewed some of the biggest stars in country music, including Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson.

He had been named Favourite Radio Presenter for the fourth year running at the Northern Ireland Country Music Awards in February and in 2023 was honoured with a Radio Hall of Fame award.

Candy Devine, died in October, aged 85

One of Northern Ireland’s best-loved radio voices, Candy Devine, passed away in her native Australia.

The well-known singer had been a fixture at Downtown Radio for almost 40 years, after arriving in Northern Ireland in the late 1960s, and was part of the original line-up when the station hit the airwaves in March 1976.

Ms Devine returned to Australia in 2013 after retiring from the station following the death of her husband Donald.

In 2014, Candy (real name Faye Ann McLeod) received an MBE for services to broadcasting and to the community in Northern Ireland.

Anna Lo, died November 6, aged 74

Anna Lo was the first ethnic-minority politician elected to Stormont and the first Chinese person to be elected to a legislative parliament in western Europe.

Born in Hong Kong, Anna Lo moved to Northern Ireland in 1974. The social worker later became the director of the Chinese Welfare Association in Belfast and a founding commissioner of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

Ms Lo was first elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2007, representing South Belfast for the Alliance Party, and served until 2016. During her political career she confronted what party leader Naomi Long called “appalling racism”.

Stephen Grimason, died April 28, aged 67

The former BBC News NI political editor Stephen Grimason, who was the first journalist to get his hands on the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, passed away after a long illness.

Across three decades in journalism, Mr Grimason reported on some of the darkest, most notorious moments of the Troubles.

Born in Lurgan, he became Stormont’s director of communications in 2001, a role he held until 2016, more than 40 years after he first embarked on a career as a journalist.

Along with his UTV rival Ken Reid, the pair were honoured with the chancellor’s medal in recognition of their services to journalism at Queen’s University Belfast earlier in the year.

John Bennett, died July 26, aged 82

One of Northern Ireland’s best-known radio personalities, with a broadcasting career spanning almost 60 years, John Bennett presented music, entertainment, sports and current affairs programmes for the BBC, having joined the broadcaster in 1965.

He co-launched BBC Radio Ulster, with Gloria Hunniford, on New Year’s Eve in 1974 and later became known for his work on The Sunday Club, which he presented for more than 40 years.

Mr Bennett also presented his own weekday morning show on Radio Ulster throughout the 1990s, combining music, current affairs and entertainment. His passion for football made him a go-to commentator for hundreds of live matches on the BBC.

In January 2023, the popular and ever-versatile broadcaster was awarded an MBE for services to television and radio broadcasting.

Rose-Marie Kane, died June 5, aged 69

From Newry, Co Down, Rose-Marie Kane became a well-known personality on TV and radio in the 1980s and 1990s.

The singer released 19 albums during her career and was in the studio recording her 20th when she passed away suddenly at her home in Blackpool.

Ms Kane was a former judge in two series of the BBC talent show Go For It; other television appearances included The Royal Variety Show, Shooting Stars, Doctors and Big Brother’s Little Brother.

She was a regular guest on chat shows, selling out shows at The London Palladium on several occasions.

Tommie Gorman, died June 25, aged 68

Former RTE journalist Tommie Gorman worked at the broadcaster for more than 40 years and retired from the station in April 2021. At the time of his retirement, Mr Gorman was RTE News’s northern editor.

He reported on Stormont politics from 2001 and was always viewed as fair and empathetic, earning the trust of leading politicians across the political spectrum, from the likes of Ian Paisley and Peter Robinson to Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, who were all prepared to confide in him.

Irish President Michael D Higgins said Mr Gorman was “one of the outstanding public service broadcasters of his generation”.

Nell McCafferty, died August 21, aged 80

Renowned author, journalist and feminist activist Nell McCafferty was born in the Bogside, Derry, and became a prominent voice on women’s rights issues across the island of Ireland, co-founding the Irish Women’s Liberation Movement (IWLM) in 1970.

Considered a journalistic trailblazer and fearless social commentator, Ms McCafferty authored several books and also wrote for publications including the Sunday Tribune and Hot Press.

Campaigning for the legalisation of contraceptives in Ireland in the 1970s, she famously took part in an event known as the Contraceptive Train in 1971, when members of the IWLM travelled across the border to Belfast and bought a range of contraceptive products to bring back to Dublin, where they staged a protest at the city’s Connolly Station.

Archbishop Noel Treanor, died August 11, aged 73

Originally from Co Monaghan, Noel Treanor, who was born on Christmas Day in 1950, was appointed by Pope Francis to the diplomatic role of apostolic nuncio to the European Union in 2023, the representative of the Holy See, the Catholic Church’s governing body, in Brussels.

After attending St Patrick’s College in Maynooth, he studied in Rome and was ordained as a priest in 1976, serving in the diocese of Clogher in St Macartan’s Cathedral in Co Monaghan.

He was later appointed Bishop of Down and Connor by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008. He was remembered as a tremendously gifted academic, a proficient modern linguist, and a highly skilled diplomat.

Keith Kennedy, died September 4, age 33

IFA referee Keith Kennedy was a familiar and popular figure in the Irish League scene. He began refereeing in 2007 and officiated his first Irish League match at the age of 21.

Mr Kennedy took charge of the 2017 Irish Cup final between Linfield and Coleraine and was a Fifa-qualified official for a number of years.

He officiated the international friendly between the Republic of Ireland and Qatar at the Aviva Stadium in November 2021 and had taken charge of numerous underage international matches.

His last match was Coleraine’s 4-2 Irish Premiership win over Ballymena United on 16 August. Mr Kennedy was found dead in Columbia.

Tony Lloyd, died January 17, aged 73

MP for Rochdale and former Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Tony Lloyd died just days after announcing he had been diagnosed with untreatable leukaemia.

The veteran Labour MP, who was first elected to parliament in 1983, had served in Northern Ireland from 2018-2020, resigning after he was admitted to intensive care after contracting Covid-19, when he was succeeded by Louise Haigh.

Mr Lloyd had previously been appointed as foreign minister in the late 1990s as part of Tony Blair’s government.

Derrick Mehaffey, died August 26, aged 78

Co Tyrone country singer Derrick Mehaffey fronted Derrick and the Sounds in the 1960s — a group of musicians who first met at school in Omagh.

The band went on to play to packed ballrooms across the island of Ireland, toured further afield in the USA, Canada and Germany, and appeared regularly on TV throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Born in Fintona, Derrick was often referred to as ‘Ireland’s Cliff Richard’ by his fans.

Tommy Cassidy, died August 1, aged 73

Belfast’s former Northern Ireland and Newcastle United midfielder Tommy Cassidy won 24 international caps and was part of the NI squad at the 1982 World Cup, featuring in the famous 1-0 win over hosts Spain in Valencia.

After beginning his playing career with Glentoran, Mr Cassidy played 239 times for Newcastle between 1970 and 1980, helping the club reach the finals of the FA Cup in 1974 and the League Cup two years later.

Mr Cassidy went on to manage APOEL in Cyprus between 1985 and 1989 and guided Glentoran to an Irish Cup win in 1996.

Tony O’Reilly, died May 18, aged 88

Anthony O’Reilly was the former owner of the Belfast Telegraph and Irish Independent and was regarded as one of Ireland’s best-known businessmen of his generation.

An international rugby player, winning 29 caps in the green jersey of Ireland, and Chief Executive of Independent News & Media, Mr O’Reilly first bought into Independent Newspapers in 1973, building it into an international media empire with publications in South Africa, Australia, the UK and New Zealand.

He lost control of the company in 2012 when Denis O’Brien became the largest shareholder in the firm and, despite the sale of his houses and art collection, was declared bankrupt in 2015.

Chris Nicholl, died February 24, aged 77

Northern Ireland football international Chris Nicholl won 51 caps for his country, scoring three goals. He produced a world-class display in Northern Ireland’s famous 1-0 win over host nation Spain at the 1982 World Cup.

After joining Aston Villa in 1972, he played more than 200 league games in a five-year stint, captaining the side to victory over Everton in the 1976/77 League Cup after two final replays. Mr Nicholl scored in the second replay.

He signed for Southampton in June 1977, where he made 228 league appearances in six years and was appointed manager in 1985, spending six years in the job.

He also served as assistant manager of the national team during Lawrie McMenemy’s reign between 1998 and 2000.

John Bruton, died February 6, aged 76

John Bruton served as Taoiseach from 1994 to 1997 and was instrumental in the evolving Northern Ireland peace process along with then Prime Minister John Major, with whom he launched the Anglo-Irish Framework Document in 1995.

Born in Dublin, Mr Bruton was elected to the Dail to represent Meath in 1969 for Fine Gael.

Later as Taoiseach, he led a so-called “rainbow coalition” government of Fine Gael, Labour and Democratic Left but lost the 1997 general election to Bertie Ahern’s Fianna Fail.

During his tenure as Taoiseach, Mr Bruton steered a referendum that paved the way for the legalisation of divorce in Ireland.

Walter Love, died January 26, aged 88

The veteran BBC Northern Ireland broadcaster Walter Love hosted Radio Ulster’s Day By Day and Love in the Afternoon and presented Sunday staple Love Forty.

After a broadcasting career spanning more than seven decades, Jazz Club with Walter Love aired its final show in 2023.

Mr Love started out as a freelance contributor to BBC radio in the 1950s, before landing a job as a studio manager in London.

He then spent a decade as a TV newsreader in Belfast before joining Radio Ulster in 1978, going on to become a household name.

Lady Moyola, died March 7, aged 94

Lady Moyola was the wife of former Northern Ireland prime minister James Chichester-Clark, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, who served from April 28, 1969, to March 23, 1971, when he resigned from the role.

Lady Moyola, then known as Moyra Haughton (née Morris), married Chichester-Clark in 1959.

She famously survived one of Northern Ireland’s worst recorded aviation crashes in 1953, when she was one of only eight survivors of the Nutts Corner plane crash which killed her first husband, Captain Thomas Haughton (among 27 dead), when the plane travelling from London hit a pole on decent. Lady Moyola was heavily pregnant at the time.

Bishop Pat Buckley, died May 17, aged 72

A controversial and outspoken independent Catholic bishop, Pat Buckley, since 1986, acted as an independent cleric outside mainstream Catholicism. His official status within the Catholic Church was that of a suspended priest.

Born in born in Tullamore, Co Offaly, as the eldest of 17 children, he, in 2013, admitted involvement in sham marriages, which were being used to help non-EU nationals gain UK residency, for which he was given a three-and-a half-year jail sentence, suspended for three years, as he was being treated for medical issues including HIV.

He described himself as the ‘unofficial chaplain to disaffected and alienated Catholics and Christians, and others, from across Ireland and further afield’ and had also been elected as an independent councillor to the former Larne Borough Council in 1989.