View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
November 24, 2005updated 22 Nov 2022 5:35pm

Joe Power

By Press Gazette

Joe Power,
former religious affairs correspondent of the Irish Independent, has
died in a Dublin hospital from complications following a liver
transplant.

He had retired in 1998 after 42 years service with
the Independent News and Media group. Over those four decades Joe had
combined coverage of religion with political reportage from the
Government press gallery.

On his retirement, tributes were paid
by several prominent senators who described Joe as an “old-style
journalist – old style in the best sense of the word, in that he was
both accurate and fair… and as exemplifying the best traditions of a
great profession” and of being “a very humane person for whom facts
were sacred”.

As religious specialist with the Irish Independent
from the late 1960s, Joe is credited with having made a distinctive
contribution to Irish journalism.

Among his many exclusive stories, he broke the news of the intended visit to Ireland of Pope John Paul II in I979.

Joe
made regular visits to the Vatican during the papacies of Paul VI and
John Paul II. He covered the funeral of Paul VI in 1978 and the
election of two Popes, John Paul I and John Paul II. Joe also reported
on every international synod of bishops in Rome from I967. He also
attended World Council of Churches meetings in Geneva and was regarded
as making good contact with Protestant church leaders.

Joe was
regarded as having belonged to a new generation of religion specialists
active during the often turbulent years after the second Vatican
Council.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

The changed coverage saw the disappearance of the
exaggerated deference in the media to church dignitaries and the
traditional focus on ceremonial events. On occasions Joe was hard
pressed to conceal his frustration at the secretiveness of bishops and
their poor understanding of the media.

In recent times however,
he could be heard complaining privately and to colleagues that his
newspaper had become too inclined to sensationalise religion coverage
and to give undue emphasis, as did the Irish media in general, to
negative events surrounding the Catholic Church On retirement from the
Irish Independent, Joe continued to write for a number of weekly
Catholic newspapers as well as for Ireland on Sunday.

The
Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin, officiating at his
Requiem Mass, recalled the many occasions he had encountered Joe during
his many years in Rome as a Vatican diplomat. He paid tribute to him
for his unfailing courtesy as befitted a “gentleman journalist”.

Aged 72, Joe is survived by his wife Brigid, daughters Ann Marie, Marie- Therese, Justine, Caroline and son John.

Des Cryan

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network