Brian Looney’s life was a rollercoaster, but provides a timely lesson
Brian Looney had the ability to see work challenges in a wider, big-picture context.
Monday was a sad day in Irish media circles, and beyond, as the news filtered through that a former editor of this title, Brian Looney, had passed away at the age of 63.
Needless to say, the Corkman's death has been met with warm public tributes from his many friends and former colleagues.
Those tributes — richly deserved — have lauded his many and diverse achievements in a truly whirlwind journey through Irish media.
It was a journey that saw him appointed as industrial correspondent of the aged 24, editor of newspaper at just 27, and subsequently editor of the then newspaper.
After leaving the in 2001 and a short stint as political adviser, Brian was appointed managing editor of a group of prestigious regional newspapers in 2004 at just 45 years of age. These titles included the , , and others.
It was in that role that I was lucky enough to work closely with Brian at the height of his insight and powers.
A journey that began with several pints in a pub across from Dundalk railway station, I had travelled there from Drogheda to interview for the vacant editor's chair at the .
Two hours into a wide-ranging conversation about the newspaper, its potential, and the state of Irish media in general, I told Brian I'd have to run for the last train.
Needless to say he ordered two more pints and said not to worry, he'd pay for a taxi to take me home at closing time.
Who was I to refuse?
An abiding memory of that 'interview' was a query from Brian along the lines of 'had I heard any gossip about him in the Independent Group', my employers at that stage.
Emboldened by a few pints, I said that I had heard he had a reputation as being slightly fearsome.
With a trademark purse of his lips and mischievous grin, he said that was 'complete bollocks', before saying the only thing that he could not tolerate were people who blocked progress and journalists and managers who had lost touch with their readers.
Despite this most unconventional — but highly enjoyable — interview, I walked through the doors of the two months later and began the most enjoyable period of my career in working with Brian and the team in modernising every facet of one of Ireland's oldest regional titles.
Despite many demands on his time, not least as MD of the Leinster Leader Group and a central player in its eventual, and very profitable sale to Johnston Press, Brian would always take a keen interest in what we were doing in Dundalk.
I realise now that this was because the work we were doing there reminded him so much of the work he had done in the : a title he had repositioned from an historic, highly regarded, and respected regional title to an alternative voice in the hugely competitive national newspaper market.
Brian, when he did visit, would position himself beside my desk, flick through the latest edition, and ask: "What's the plans for next week?"
I can honestly say that I looked forward to those conversations, as well as the inevitable challenges and work that they would present because, quite simply, they made sense, and put something I may have been struggling with in a wider, big-picture context — one of his great strengths.
And, at times, when Brian realised I was struggling with the workload or was having a bad day, he had the emotional intelligence to calmly step back and suggest we perhaps take some time out and follow what he called the most important maxim of man and woman management, the three Ds. Decide (what needs to be done), Delegate (to the right people), and Disappear (to the pub in many cases).
In short, and in all seriousness, I can honestly say that I learned more about journalism, and its true role and importance in our society, in the first three months of that journey with Brian than I did in the decade I had spent in Irish journalism up to that date.
Brian Looney was not, of course, a man without his inner demons and human frailties.
But those very human demons and flaws could not, and will never, outshine the brilliance of Brian's wit (in the truest and every sense of that word), his incredible warmth when you got under the tough exterior, his integrity, and his understated and unbounded generosity.
He has left the stage, but the sum of his actions — not just his achievements — will ensure his shadow will never truly recede amongst those who knew him. That is perhaps Brian's greatest legacy to us all.
RIP, Mr Looney.
