Sadness at sudden death of Derry journalist Brian Hutton
Tributes have poured in for the 46-year-old who was admitted to Letterkenny University Hospital in Donegal last Saturday morning, December 31, after becoming unwell.
Sadly, the father-of-one passed away later that afternoon.
A family notice reads: “HUTTON, Brian, Derry and formerly Harold’s Cross, Dublin, passed away December 31, 2022 suddenly, but peacefully, at Letterkenny University Hospital, surrounded by his loving family.
“Brian was much loved and will be sadly missed by his daughter Issy, her mum Aideen McLoughlin, parents Damian and Eileen, brothers Kevin and Sean, sister Mairead, partner Emer Cosgrove, mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended family and a large circle of friends.
“Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
“Reposing at his family home, 11 Aberfoyle Crescent, Derry on Wednesday, January 4 and Thursday, January 5.
“Family time from 10:00pm to 11:00am.
“Removal Friday morning to St. Patrick’s Church, Pennyburn, at 11.20am for Funeral Mass at 12 noon followed by burial in St. Mura’s Cemetery, Fahan.
Tributes to Mr Hutton were led by the President of Ireland Michael D Higgins.
Said President Higgins: “May I express my deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the late Brian Hutton.
“Brian was a fine journalist and known as a brilliant colleague with a reputation for reliability and a sensitive nature.
“He will be missed by so many.”
Mr Hutton was a former deputy news editor of the Press Association in Ireland and was also an Irish Times contributor.
The northern editor of The Irish Times, Freya McClements, told the paper he was ‘the best of journalists, the best of friends and the best of men’.
“In the last week alone Brian featured prominently in reports of the release of the State papers and it is fitting that his byline was above another article in the paper on the day he died,” said Ms McClements, a native of Derry.
McClements went on to commend Brian’s work on the recent Creeslough tragedy in Donegal.
Laura Hutton, a cousin of the Derry man and Deputy Picture Editor at the Dublin newspaper, said his family was broken by the news.
“A big bro more than a cuz, Brian gave me Prince, The Stone Roses, the three chords anyone really needs and encouraged me to study photography,” she said.
“He had a skill of getting you to tell him things you didn’t want to. A born journalist and a great mucker. We’re broken.”
The former Ireland editor of PA, Deric Henderson, offered his condolences to Mr Hutton’s family and described him as a top journalist and a fantastic human being.
“I, like most people who knew him, am still struggling to come to terms with his passing,” Mr Henderson said.
“He arrived from Belfast to work with me in Dublin… he always found himself working against the clock at PA and he adapted very quickly.
“He had a great news sense, he had a good nose for a story, he was good with words and had great people skills – which is critical in our world.
“Journalists are only good as the people they know and he had a very extensive list of contacts all over Ireland,” Mr Henderson said.
“He was a Derry man through and through, even though he spent most of his career away from the north-west, he was fiercely proud of his home city.”
Mr Henderson described Mr Hutton as one of “nature’s gentleman” who was a pleasure to be around both in the newsroom and outside of it.
SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan said he had gone to school with Brian and was deeply saddened by his loss.
“Shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the esteemed journalist Brian Hutton,” he said.
“I have known Brian since we were teenagers and have really enjoyed catching up when our professional paths have crossed over the years though his work for Press Association and the Irish Times.
“I respected him hugely as a journalist and as a man. My thoghts and prayers are with Brian’s family, friends and colleagues at this dark and difficult time.”
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