The Late Eddie Rogers
Mr Charles Edmund (Eddie) Rogers, The Bungalow, Sragh, Tullamore, whose death occurred on Sunday last the 26th July 2009 at the Regional General Hospital, Tullamore, was a well known and highly respected journalist for almost sixty years. Highly regarded and respected in media circles, his lengthy career earned him the status of a legend in his own lifetime.

The late Mr Rogers was born in Dublin in 1930, but had live in Tullamore from an early age. He received his education at O'Connell School CBS in Dublin, St Columba's CBS (now Colaiste Choilm) and Tullamore V.S. (now Tullamore College). On leaving school he obtained a position on the clerical staff of Salts (Ireland) Ltd., where he remained for more then twenty years until made redundant when that company ceased production.
Keenly interested and actively involved in sport from an early age, deceased made his first entry into journalism in 1947 on a part-time basis by contributing two weekly columns, Soccer Snippets and Spotlight on Sport, to the Offaly Independent. These proved exceptionally popular and ran continuously for forty years. Simultaneously he also contributed a weekly column devoted to sport in Offaly to both the Leinster Express and Leinster Leader and a Sport in the Midlands column each Wednesday to the Evening Herald.

Inevitable, it was full time journalism that deceased turned on seeking new employment, and within a week a joined the Offaly Independent on a full-time basis. His sports columns continued, but now he was introduced to news reporting by his first editor, the late Mr John Glennon. In the years that followed Mr Rogers was to work under a succession of editors- the late Jimmy Spollen and Joe Cunningham, Ms Margaret Greenan and Dave O'Connell in the Offaly Independent and Teddy Fennelly during an eight year period spent with the Offaly Express from 1987 to 1995.

In the 1970's Mr Rogers succeeded his nephew, the late John Hughes, as local representative of RTE and all the national newspapers, which he continued to serve for almost four decades, although always conscious that in accordance with N.U.J. ethics his first allegiance was to his own newspaper.

Throughout his career in journalism deceased was an active trade unionist as a member of the N.U.J. and served a number of terms as Chairman of the former Athlone & District branch, in recognition of which he had life membership of the N.U.J. conferred on him. He was also the Provincial representative on the committee of the N.U.J. Retired Journalists Association up to the time of his death. He took a particular interest in helping young reporters starting out, and there are many who have since become established journalists at both local and national level who can testify to his guidance and practical assistance that helped them on their way.

On reaching the age of 65 years deceased retired from the Offaly Express in 1995, but within six months was prevailed upon to return in a part-time capacity as court reporter and GAA correspondent for the Offaly Independent. He was also the official obituary writer for the paper. He finally retired in January 2005.

Throughout the six decades spent in journalism locally deceased declined a number of offers from various national newspapers, but he was to the fore in covering all the major news and sport stories of national importance from the area. His reports on joyous local occasions, such as Offaly's All-Ireland triumphs in hurling and football, confirmed his acknowledged status as the outstanding and most widely read writer on Gaelic games locally. He also covered many more sombre events that included several major fires, fatal accidents, evictions, proceedings in the District, Circuit, High and Central Criminal Courts, and inquests, which came within his remit and were reported with accuracy and sensitivity.

Deceased's long and distinguished career embraced a period of huge technological changes in the newspaper industry during which printers changed from the old hot metal system and reporters abandoned their typewriters in favour of computers and, ultimately, direct input to the printed pages.

The late Mr Rogers in his younger days was active in a variety of sports. He played minor football with Tullamore and Offaly, winning a county championship medal with the Blues in 1948, before being suspended under the infamous ban rule for attending a soccer match! He then switched to soccer, winning several Town League and Cup medals with Salts and representing Tullamore for many seasons for the old Athletic Union League against most of the premier junior clubs in Dublin.

As a players and administrator he was particularly prominent in table tennis and was a founder member of the Laois/Offaly Table Tennis Association, which he served as secretary for twenty-one years. He also served as vice President of the Leinster Branch of the ITTA and officiated as umpire at international level. Athletics, tennis and swimming were other activities in which he participated, while jointly with Mr Tadgh Lambe he founded the Offaly Sports Council which was responsible for launching Community Games locally, first in Tullamore and later expanding the movement to embrace all Offaly. He enjoyed a special affinity with Offaly Scor and Score na nOg, and for nigh on twenty years was alone amongst local press representatives in attending and reporting on Offaly's participation at county, provincial and All-Ireland level.

Deceased several his community as a Peace Commissioner since 1971 and his Church as a daily mass-goer and a former liturgical reader of God's word. Throughout his life he obtained from alcohol and in 2005 became the first local recipient of more than 60 years membership of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association.

Predeceased by his son, Alan in 1999 and his wife of 45 years, Teresa, three years later, Mr Rogers is survived by his sons, John (Daingean), Gerard and David in Tullamore. He was the last surviving member of his family, having been predeceased by his sisters, Kathleen Slevin in 1999 and Pauline Hughes in 2006. His daughter-in-law and grandchildren, Paul, Yvonne, Vincent and Dylan, nephews, nieces and other relatives, together with his journalist colleagues and friends, also mourn his passing.

The remains of Mr Rogers were removed from the Funeral Home Market Square, Tullamore to the Church of the Assumption, where his requiem Mass Today (Wednesday) was celebrated by Fr Shane Crombie, following which the largely attended funeral took place to Clonminch Cemetery.

Courtesy of the Leinster Leader
29th July 2009 Tweet

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