TOM GILLESPIE IS NEW EDITOR OF Connaught TELEGRAPH
March 1996
Mr Tom Gillespie has been appointed editor of the Connaught Telegraph in succession to the late Mr. Tom Courell who died in December having held the position for eighteen years. A director of the newspaper for the past ten years, Mr. Gillespie (46), is a fourth generation member of the family to be associated with the publication since it was founded almost 168 years ago.
His great-great grandfather R A Gillespie worked with Lord Frederick
Cavendish after the newspaper was founded on St. Patrick's Day 1828.
Sixty years later (1888) R A took over the proprietorship of the Connaught
Telegraph from the then owner and editor James Daly.
The Connaught Telegraph has been in the Gillespie family since.
Tom is son of Patsy and the late Dick Gillespie of Marian Row, Castlebar, and he has been a member of the staff of the Connaught Telegraph for the past 27 years having joined the family run firm on completing his second level education at St. Gerald's College, Castlebar.
He started his journalistic career in Castlebar under John McHale and the late Bernie Gillespie and was later the South Mayo and Westport correspondent. He has ben a member of the National Union of Journalists all his working life and is a past chairman and secretary of the organisation.
Married to Mavourneen (nee Redmond) they have six children, Emma, Ineke, Darragh, Rowena, Colin and Lenore.
A keen angler, Mr. Gillespie, is deeply involved in promoting the sport among the youth in Castlebar through the Castlebar Junior Anglers Club. He has been acting editor of the Connaught Telegraph for the past twelve months and deputy editor for several years.
He is chairman of the organising committee of the "Mayo People of the Year Awards" which is jointly run by the Rehab Foundation, AIB Bank and the Connaught Telegraph.
Mr. Gillespie said: "The successful editorial format introduced by the late Mr Courell will continue to be the basis for future development of the Connaught Telegraph.
"Our motto "Be Just and Fear Not" is something we are proud of and is the cornerstone of our journalistic output.
"We will continue to bring our readers the top news and sports stories in a bright and refreshing way. Out team of top reporters are always first with the big and exclusive stories.
"I am delighted to be able to continue the family tradition of editing the
country's oldest provincial newspaper in continuous circulation."
Connaught Telegraph - News - Mar 1996
Connaught Telegraph - Sports - Mar 1996
