Aengus Fanning
Encyclopedia
Aengus Fanning is an Irish
journalist and former editor of farming of the Irish Independent
. Originally from Tralee in County Kerry
, he has been the editor of the Sunday Independent
since
1984. He was boss and friend to the late Veronica Guerin
. Fanning's family owned the Irish local newspaper
The Midland Tribune. Fanning is a graduate of University College Cork (UCC).
He also has a keen interest in sport, having represented Kerry in Gaelic football
in his youth
- cricket is also a passion of his. He also plays the clarinet
, and is a jazz fan.
Fanning took over editing the Sunday Independent in 1984 from Michael Hand. Under
Fanning's leadership, the newspaper adopted what Irish newspaper historian John Horgan called a "new emphasis
on pungent opinion columns, gossip and fashion" which resulted in the paper overtaking its main rival,
The Sunday Press
. For a time, Fanning's deputy editor
was journalist Anne Harris.
In a 1993 interview with Ivor Kenny in the book "Talking to Ourselves", Fanning described himself
as a classical liberal
who was opposed to both Ulster loyalist
and Provisional IRA
terrorism. Fanning
also expressed a strong advocacy of the free market
, arguing that the goal of a good newspaper
is to be as commerically successful as possible:
Fanning recruited a number of noted writers to contribute to the newspaper, including
historians Conor Cruise O'Brien
and Ronan Fanning
,, journalists
Shane Ross
and Gene Kerrigan
, poet Anthony Cronin
and novelist Colm Tóibín
. However, his editorship was not without controversy; the columns published
by Eamon Dunphy
and Terry Keane
drew criticism. Foley noted some Irish commentators
criticised Fanning's Sunday Independent, claiming the newspaper was publishing "a mix of
sleaze and prurience".
Fanning also defended the controversial Mary Ellen Synon
, who called the Paralympics games 'perverse'.
One of the more bizarre incidents occurred in 2001 when Fanning was involved in a fisticuffs with a colleague at the newspaper - operations editor Campbell Spray.
Fanning was listed at number 31 on a list of "most influential people" in Irish society complied for
Village
magazine.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
journalist and former editor of farming of the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
. Originally from Tralee in County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
, he has been the editor of the Sunday Independent
Sunday Independent
The Sunday Independent is a broadsheet Sunday newspaper published in Ireland by Independent News and Media plc. The newspaper is edited by Aengus Fanning, and is the biggest selling Irish Sunday newspaper by a large margin ; average circulation of 291,323 between June 2004 and January 2005,...
since
1984. He was boss and friend to the late Veronica Guerin
Veronica Guerin
Veronica Guerin was an Irish crime reporter who was murdered on 26 June 1996 by drug lords, an event which, alongside the murder of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe three weeks earlier, helped establish the Criminal Assets Bureau....
. Fanning's family owned the Irish local newspaper
The Midland Tribune. Fanning is a graduate of University College Cork (UCC).
He also has a keen interest in sport, having represented Kerry in Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
in his youth
- cricket is also a passion of his. He also plays the clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
, and is a jazz fan.
Fanning took over editing the Sunday Independent in 1984 from Michael Hand. Under
Fanning's leadership, the newspaper adopted what Irish newspaper historian John Horgan called a "new emphasis
on pungent opinion columns, gossip and fashion" which resulted in the paper overtaking its main rival,
The Sunday Press
The Sunday Press
The Sunday Press was a weekly newspaper published in Ireland from 1949 until 1995. It was launched by Éamon de Valera's Irish Press group following the defeat of his Fianna Fáil party in the Irish general election, 1948...
. For a time, Fanning's deputy editor
was journalist Anne Harris.
In a 1993 interview with Ivor Kenny in the book "Talking to Ourselves", Fanning described himself
as a classical liberal
Classical liberalism
Classical liberalism is the philosophy committed to the ideal of limited government, constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, and liberty of individuals including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and free markets....
who was opposed to both Ulster loyalist
Ulster loyalism
Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
and Provisional IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
terrorism. Fanning
also expressed a strong advocacy of the free market
Free market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
, arguing that the goal of a good newspaper
is to be as commerically successful as possible:
"If three or four papers out of 15 are successful and the others are not, they might say they're not driven by the market, they have some higher vocation: to serve the public interest or some pompous stuff like that. That's how they feel good about themselves. Fair enough, if that's how they want to explain the world. It's a grand excuse for relative failure... I think we live or die by the market, it will always win through."
Fanning recruited a number of noted writers to contribute to the newspaper, including
historians Conor Cruise O'Brien
Conor Cruise O'Brien
Conor Cruise O'Brien often nicknamed "The Cruiser", was an Irish politician, writer, historian and academic. Although his opinion on the role of Britain in Northern Ireland changed over the course of the 1970s and 1980s, he always acknowledge values of, as he saw, the two irreconcilable traditions...
and Ronan Fanning
Ronan Fanning
Professor Ronan Fanning, MRIA, is an Irish historian. He is Professor emeritus of Modern History at University College Dublin and Director of Archives at the School of History and Archives . A member of the Royal Irish Academy, he is a member of the board of the Directory of Irish Biography.and the...
,, journalists
Shane Ross
Shane Ross
Shane Peter Nathaniel Ross is an independent Irish politician and Business Editor of the Sunday Independent. He was the longest-serving member of Seanad Éireann , until he was elected to Dáil Éireann for the constituency of Dublin South at the 2011 general election.-Early life and career:Born in...
and Gene Kerrigan
Gene Kerrigan
Gene Kerrigan is an Irish journalist and novelist who grew up in Cabra in Dublin. His works include political commentary on Ireland since the 1970s in such publications as Magill magazine and the Sunday Independent newspaper. He has also written about Ireland for International Socialism magazine...
, poet Anthony Cronin
Anthony Cronin
Anthony Cronin is an Irish poet. He received the Marten Toonder Award for his contribution to Irish literature....
and novelist Colm Tóibín
Colm Tóibín
Colm Tóibín is a multi-award-winning Irish novelist, short story writer, essayist, playwright, journalist, critic, and, most recently, poet.Tóibín is Leonard Milberg Lecturer in Irish Letters at Princeton University in New Jersey and succeeded Martin Amis as professor of creative writing at the...
. However, his editorship was not without controversy; the columns published
by Eamon Dunphy
Eamon Dunphy
Eamon Martin Dunphy is an Irish media personality, radio and television presenter, author, sports pundit, as well as a former professional football player. He is best known as a soccer analyst on Raidió Teilifís Éireann 's coverage of the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. He was paid...
and Terry Keane
Terry Keane
Terry Keane was an Irish columnist and fashion journalist.Born as Ann Teresa O'Donnell in Guildford, Surrey, UK in 1939, Keane studied medicine at Trinity College, Dublin but dropped out without obtaining a degree. She spent the majority of her career working for the Irish newspaper, the Sunday...
drew criticism. Foley noted some Irish commentators
criticised Fanning's Sunday Independent, claiming the newspaper was publishing "a mix of
sleaze and prurience".
Fanning also defended the controversial Mary Ellen Synon
Mary Ellen Synon
Mary Ellen Synon is an Irish-American journalist currently based in Brussels. She is a columnist with the Mail on Sunday and a contributor to the Daily Mail in Britain and the Irish Daily Mail, as well as the Irish weekly, The Sunday Business Post. She writes a blog - titled "Euroseptic" - for the...
, who called the Paralympics games 'perverse'.
One of the more bizarre incidents occurred in 2001 when Fanning was involved in a fisticuffs with a colleague at the newspaper - operations editor Campbell Spray.
Fanning was listed at number 31 on a list of "most influential people" in Irish society complied for
Village
Village (magazine)
Village is an Irish current affairs magazine founded by Vincent Browne. It was launched in October 2004 and was published weekly. In January 2007, it was announced that Village Magazine would be published monthly...
magazine.