Tribute paid to journalist with strong Offaly connections who helped launch the Tullamore Tribune

Tributes have been paid to the late David Pate, a journalist at the Tullamore Tribune, in its early years.

In an appreciation published in this week's edition of the Tribune, NUJ Irish Secretary and former Tullamore Tribune journalist, Seamus Dooley, writes: "The sudden death of David Pate at his home in Hallifax, Nova Scotia last week breaks a link with the small team behind the launch of the Tullamore Tribune.

Aged 63, his unexpected death has brought tributes from friends and former colleagues in the Midlands and in RTÉ where he worked prior to emigrating to Nova Scoti in 1989.  

A week known broadcaster and senior producer at CBS Novia Scotia, David took early retirement in 2020 to pursue his interests in writing and as a scuba diving instructor. Only last month named “Instructor of the Decade” by Torpedo Rays Scuba Adventures Centre. Announcing the staff awards the centre explained: “We actually had to make a new award, because it’s not fair for David to get it every year! Instructor of the DECADE goes to David Pate. We are pretty sure he’s trained half of Nova Scotia to dive at this point.”

In retirement completed a podcast series on national anthems of the world, “Changing our Tunes, Why National Anthems Fall Flat”. He had recently submitted the manuscript to his Canadian publisher and the book based on the series is due for publication in the Autumn.

David Pate was the son of the late Alex and Eleanor Pate. He received his early education in Scotland before the family moved to Dublin. He completed is second level education at Wesley College, Dublin from 1974 to 1976 and subsequently attended Trinity College Dublin before leaving to pursue a career in Dublin.

Alex Pate was a distinguished consultant neurosurgeon at the Richmond Hospital, Dublin. In his reflections on the hospital cardiologist and author Prof Eoin O Brien describes Mr Pate as “a tall Scot with a touch of Aberdeen granite”.

When David Pate arrived in Birr to be interviewed by the owner editor of the Midland Tribune J I Fanning in 1978 he had never been in Co Offaly, knew nothing about Irish rural life and even less about journalism. Fanning must have been impressed by the tall Scot, who also had a touch of Aberdeen granite – physically striking but also possessed of a steely determination and an air of self-confidence which belied his youthful inexperience.

Fanning appointed Pate to the job of journalist, working alongside Geoff Oakley on the fledgling newspaper.   He joined the Tullamore Tribune on May 30, 1978, and immediately formed a fond bond with Geoff Oakley and his wife Dorothy. Receptionist Mary Bracken formed the triumvirate in the tiny Church Street office. When Geoff died in September 2021 David warmly recalled how the unassuming Birr man had taught him so much about journalism and life – including how little he himself knew about either. In a message to me he admitted, “He [Geoff] seemed impossibly ancient when I arrived in Tullamore 43 years ago but he wasn't even 50!].

David recalled the contribution of GAA historian John Clarke and athletics correspondent John McKenna who would sweep into the office declaring, “greetings, salutation” as he handed over his Monday morning copy. He worked closely with photographers Mary Dunne, Joe O’Sullivan and especially Richard May.

John Clarke regularly poked fun at Pate’s lack of expertise in football and hurling but shared his irreverent sense of humour and his zest for life.  As a general reporter David Pate covered sports, courts, local authority meetings and local events.

His engaging personality helped build close relationships. He was a member of Junior Chamber Tullamore and had a wide circle of friends. A lifelong trade unionist he was an officer of the now defunct Athlone and District branch of the National Union of Journalists and enjoyed cordial relations with professional rivals such as the late Eddie Rogers and Donal White, the Portlaoise born journalist who died so young, both of whom worked at the Offaly Independent.

He lived at William Street, Tullamore and left to pursue a career in national journalism following his marriage to Gemma O’Riordan from Mullingar in 1981.

He worked briefly with the Sunday Tribune and was appointed to a staff job in RTÉ where he was a highly regarded reporter and radio sub editor.   Poignantly he reported on the burning of the Church of the Assumption, Tullamore,  for RTÉ on November 1, 1983.

He worked across radio and television and was a committed member of the NUJ newsroom chapel (office branch). His former RTÉ colleague Eoin Ronayne recalls David as a highly talented sub editor with a very news sense and a sharp eye for a good news story.

David left RTÉ and with Gemma emigrated to Canada, where he secured a job with CBS Nova Scotia in 1989. He was one of the best-known news casters with CBS and enjoyed a stellar career. He was passionately devoted to scuba diving and was a skilled underwater photographer.

On his retirement from CBS in November 2020, David stressed the importance of local journalism and of staying connected to listeners and readers in a message to staff. For such a sociable character with an eclectic range of friends and colleagues the Covid 19 restrictions prevented him from having the kind of farewell he would have wished.   Always one to remember dates and incidents he noted on his Facebook page “I started work in my first journalism job exactly 42 years and six months so today. Today, that journey of full-time work officials comes to an end. Tomorrow [31 November 20220] I become a retiree.”

David was a busy retiree and was hugely productive. He was rightly proud of his podcast series and pleased to have handed over his Anthems book for publication. He continued to embrace his wide span of interests and his sudden death cuts short a promising career as an author, blogger and of course a scuba diving instructor. He also enjoyed his status as a grandfather.

His untimely and unexpected passing is a loss to Gemma, to his family and many friends across his adopted home of Nova Scotia, in Ireland and in his beloved Scotland.  

He retained a keen interest in Irish affairs and through social media took a particular interest in happenings in Offaly. On the occasion of Geoff Oakley’s death, he viewed the funeral service at St Catherine's Church, Hophill via Zoom and in a series of text exchanges we reminisced on the early days of the Tullamore Tribune.

David Pate held a special place in his heart for Tullamore and held in the highest regarded those with whom he came in contact during his time in Tullamore.

Precedeased by his parents Alex and Eleanor, David is survived by his wife, Gemma,   by Rebecca, Alex and Abigail,   grandchildren.  Harrison,  Sullivan, Theo and Sadie and by three brothers, Gordon, Galway, Bruce, Florida and Alistair, Glasgow.