FORMER Limerick newspaper editor Brian Looney has died after a short illness in his native Cork City on Monday.
Widely remembered for his warmth and wit, as well as the deep legacy he leaves behind him in Irish journalism, he worked as a journalist and editor with the Limerick Weekly Echo.
He was appointed Industrial Correspondent of the Irish Independent before his appointment as editor of The Kerryman, and the Irish Examiner – which he helped shepherd from the local ‘Cork Examiner’ to a national title.
Former Irish Examiner editor Tim Vaughan said that he would “remember Brian for his wicked sense of fun as well as the kindness and generosity he showed to many people”, adding that “he was a big-intellect, big-picture guy who knew what needed to be done — and he had the talent, drive, and fortitude to get it done”.
Aged 62, he is survived by his brothers Ivor, Michael, and Aquinas, sister Mary, and step-mother Joan. His Funeral Mass will take place at midday on Thursday (January 12) at the Church of the Most Precious Blood, Clogheen, Co Cork.
