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Journalist who was ‘oldest scribbler in town’ dies aged 83

Eddie McIlwaineA regional daily journalist who called himself the “oldest scribbler in town” and continued working until last year has died aged 83.

Tributes have been paid to Eddie McIlwaine, left, whose journalism career spanned seven decades.

Eddie worked in a number of roles at titles including the Belfast Telegraph and Daily Mirror.

He continued to write a column for the Bel Tel until 2017, and last year wrote his final story for a book documenting Northern Ireland’s Troubles.

Eddie died in the early hours of Tuesday with his family at his bedside after a long battle against cancer.

Irene, his wife of 42 years, told the Bel Tel: “All Eddie was interested in was getting the story. He didn’t care about the big names.

“We had a good life. Ours is a real love story. We met in February 1977 and we married in August that year. We had been introduced by a mutual friend and Eddie later wrote a piece for the paper saying 1977 was his happiest year.”

Eddie began his career in 1955 on the East Antrim Times, and moved to the Bel Tel two years later.

He was promoted to deputy news editor, but switched to join the Daily Mirror in 1965 and reported on the Troubles for the national.

In the mid-1970s Bel Tel editor Roy Lilley, a former colleague on the Times, convinced him to return, initially working on its weekly newspapers and then on the sports desk.

Eddie was later appointed to write its Ulster Log diary column and cover entertainments, meeting the likes of Luciano Pavarotti and Cliff Richard in the process.

Robin Walsh, another former Times colleague who went on to become a BBC executive, told the Bel Tel: “Eddie was simply one of the greatest newspapermen of his day. His forte was ‘human interest’, unearthing facts about people no one knew existed; his every sentence willing you to read the next.

“The most complex of stories were made accessible by a writing style that was direct and distinctively all his own.

“His approach to local, regional or national journalism carried the same abounding enthusiasm that told of a deep love of his trade. I was lucky to have him as a friend.”

According to the Bel Tel’s obituary, Eddie was proud of the fact that he was for long the “oldest scribbler in town” and at one time said he wanted to keep writing until he was 90.

As well as Irene, Eddied is survived by son Edward and daughter Zara.