Death of Karl Johnston: The death of Karl Johnston (70), the former rugby correspondent of the Irish Press and latterly the cricket correspondent of The Irish Times, cast a terrible pall over the sports writing community when news filtered through that he had passed away on Saturday after a long illness.

Karl had always been one of the most engaging and entertaining writers in Irish sports journalism and, in his time, developed a unique style.

A widely read and well rounded man, with a deep interest in the theatre and literature, Karl could be an immensely witty and colourful writer, with a lovely turn of phrase.

And, of course, he was invariably the same when in company too.

Born in Ballincurra, Limerick, where he was educated at Crescent College, Karl moved into journalism in 1979 after a career in public relations in Dublin and Shannon, and was the rugby correspondent of the Irish Press until the demise of the Burgh Quay newspaper group in 1995.

He had travelled extensively in his role, and was actually called home from the World Cup in South Africa in 1995 when the Press folded.

Like all of life's slings and arrows, he bore this with customary humour and good grace, and moved into freelance writing before becoming the cricket correspondent of this newspaper.

Following the Lions tour to South Africa in 1980, he won the sports journalist of the year award when he broke new ground for sports writing in Ireland with an extensive series of articles on life in South Africa, focusing on the apartheid regime and its effect on rugby.

Karl also wrote two books, Ireland's Triple Crown, an account of the 1985 Triple Crown and championship success under the late Mick Doyle, and Lions in Winter, on the tour to New Zealand in 1983.

A founder member of the Irish Rugby Writers and former editor of Irish Rugby Review, Karl will be greatly missed.

Predeceased by his wife, Noreen, he is survived by his children Sarah, Catherine and David, to whom we extend our deepest sympathy.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.