JOURNALIST AODHAN O’FAOLAIN, best known for his coverage of some of the most important cases to be heard from High Court, Appeal and Supreme Court level, died suddenly yesterday after a short but hard-fought battle against cancer.

His tragic passing at the age of only 50 has left a void in the life of his wife, Janet and parents Micheal and Maura who were with him in St Vincent’s University Private Hospital yesterday afternoon when he passed.

Journalist Ray Managh, who worked with Aodhan for many years, wrote yesterday:

“His untimely death creates also a significant loss to the strength and camaraderie of the Press Corps at the Four Courts of Justice on Inns Quay, Dublin.

“Aodhan was especially trusted and admired for his professionalism and work ethic, his ever-present chirpy smile and his most casual of dress codes, a stand-out feature amid the austere garb of the judicial and legal eagles who deeply respected and admired him.

“Many judges, barristers, solicitors and court staff were among those who visited him in St Vincent’s and at his home or passed on their deep feelings of friendship and active gratitude through his friends and colleagues.

“Integrity is defined as moral uprightness, honesty, wholeness and soundness, a single word that describes Aodhan O’Faolain as the outstanding person he was in his personal and professional life.

“No other news reporter acknowledged better the importance and humanity of integrity in his caring court coverage of some of the saddest civil and criminal cases he had been called upon to cover.

“Aodhan brought from darkness into light the numerous cases particularly affecting minors who have been and still are daily abused mentally and physically, manipulated, maltreated, drug afflicted, suffering, forgotten children whose cases too often were ignored by the media behind the gagging effects of in camera hearings.

“Over years he fought for his right to be there in court for them and to report, and often by doing so expose, their plight and he did so never seeking to use any information that might in any way have identified any one of them while, at the same time, bringing to public notice some previously unknown shortcoming of a social or government agency.

“He often urged those elements of the media for whom he worked as a freelance agent to use and promote those non-sexy news articles about the care and protection of non-identifiable children and “teens” as he often liked to refer to the older ones, teenagers in trouble or in need of care and protection of the courts.

“Aodhan was an avid supporter of the Irish rugby and soccer teams as well as Connaught rugby and Athlone soccer club for which he frequently acted in a public relations capacity.”

Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan said this morning, “I was very sorry to hear of the death of Aodhan O’Faolain. He was an outstanding court reporter but, more importantly, an exceptionally decent man. He was also great company.”

Aodhan has been published extensively in The Journal among other Irish publications – an archive of his work on The Journal is available here.