THE DEATH has taken place of former Irish Timesjournalist Ella Shanahan. Ms Shanahan was a former London editor and was also Ireland's first female agriculture correspondent and one of the best-known journalists of her generation.
She died at her home in Killoteran, Co Waterford. Ms Shanahan, who was 60, joined The Irish Timesin 1972. She moved to RTÉ in 1974 and presented The News at Onebefore returning to the newspaper in 1977.
A precocious talent, Ms Shanahan began her career as a cub reporter with the Waterford News Starduring the summer of her fifth year in secondary school at the Ursuline Convent in Waterford. On completion of her Leaving Certificate, she started work full-time at the weekly paper. She also worked for the then Cork Examiner and Cork local radio.
One of the high points of her career was as London editor of The Irish Timesfrom 1988 to early 1991, where she covered the Anglo-Irish story, the final years of Margaret Thatcher's period as prime minister and the release of the Birmingham Six and Guildford Four.
On her return to Dublin, she edited the Education and Living supplement. When she left the newspaper in 2002, she did consultancy work and PR for the agriculture co-operative industry.
Author and journalist Rose Doyle described her as “an immensely loyal and good friend”.
“She was a hugely effective networker, always putting people in contact with people they needed to know and who needed to know them and she was famously generous with her contacts.”
Ms Shanahan retired to Waterford two years ago to be close to her mother Mary, who died in April, aged 96. She was also pre-deceased by her partner, former RTÉ producer Breandán Ó Cíobháin. She is survived by her sister Frances and brothers Michael and Eddie. Funeral arrangements will be announced shortly.
