President Higgins leads tributes to old friend Eamonn McCann as Derry journalists receives highest honour from NUJ comrades
President Michael D Higgins has led tributes to Eamon McCann, who has been made a Member of Honour of the National Union of Journalists.
Mr. McCann received the highest award the union can bestow at its delegate conference in Blackpool on Saturday.
The writer and activist was grant the award in recognition of his lifelong contribution to trade unionism.
In a video message, President Higgins recalled his long-time personal friendship with McCann, which dates back to their university days.
He said: "I think with fondness of our earliest encounters, when you and I met in the earnest contests of student debate - myself in University College Galway, with Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh, you and Michael Farrell representing Queen's Belfast."
Present Higgins described the award as ‘a fitting and richly deserved recognition of Eamonn's life, a life lived with an unyielding commitment to truth, to justice’.
He described McCann as having a life marked by fearless journalism, principled activism, and a steadfast dedication to the rights of workers and the rights of all members of our shared humanity.
Mr. McCann said he was delighted and proud to receive the Member of Honour award. He said he had been a member of the NUJ for almost 50 years and was delighted to have followed in the footsteps of his father, a ship worker, who described his family as ‘socialists’.
He said, today was a ‘crowning moment for the McCann’s trade union tradition’, and he was looking forward to telling them.
Mr. McCann is a former member of the national executive council and has held a variety of positions within the union.