| Notes |
- Daniel N Dorgan in the Ireland, Civil Registration Births Index, 1864-1958
Name: Daniel N Dorgan
Mother's Surname: McCarthy
Date of Registration: 1934Jan-Feb-Mar
Registration district: Cork
Birth Country: Ireland
Volume: 5
Page: 77
FHL Film Number: 101232
The Sunday Independent - Sunday 3 June 2001
DORGAN (Carrigaline, Cork) - June 2, 2001 (peacefully), in the tender care of doctors, nurses and staff at the Bon Secours Hospital, Val (late journalist, Cork Examiner), Old Waterpark Court, Carrigaline; sadly missed by his partner Helen, sons Patrick and Fergal and the Hartnett family. Rosary this (Sunday) evening at 5 o'c. at The Bon Secours Hospital Mortuary. Removal tomorrow (Monday) evening at 6 o'c. to the Church of Our Lady and St. John, Carrigadne. Requiem Mass on Tuesday at 11 o'c. Funeral afterwards to St. Joseph's Cemetery. No flowers by request. Donations in lieu to Cancer Research. House strictly private. "May he rest in peace."
The Irish Examiner - Cork - Monday 4 June 2001
Death of journalist who had passion for everything he did
by Catherine Shanahan
A MAN who was passionate about everything he did were the words used to describe former Evening Echo/Examiner journalist Val Dorgan, who has died.
Work colleagues of the 67-year-old, who died last week of cancer, said he was "a top all-round journalist in the office, talented in news and sports coverage, and a brilliant European commentator".
Fellow-journalist TP O'Mahony, who knew Mr Dorgan for a long number of years, said: "It was his passion for everything, from hurling to journalism, together with a flinty integrity, which helped set him apart from other journalists."
Mr Dorgan, who was originally from Blackpool, worked for Examiner Publications for close to 40 years and became a leading journalist in European affairs after Ireland joined the EEC in 1973.
"He was part of the whole European dimension, at the time when nobody else was taking Europe seriously. His reporting informed a whole range of people, including politicians, that there was more to Europe than farm subsidies," Mr O'Mahony said.
He said his former colleague had a great sense of social justice, which was often a great motivating factor in his writings.
"But if all this makes him sound like a very serious character, then it must be said that he had a great zest for life and he loved nothing better than a pint and a singsong," Mr O'Mahony said.
Val Dorgan will be remembered by many as the man who not only penned the book Christy Ring, but who also played on the same Gien Rovers side as the icon of Cork hurling.
His entry into journalism ended his playing days but his love of the game remained. His play. The Hurler, was attended by his friend, the then President Dr Patrick Hillary, at its opening night in UCC's Granary Theatre many vears ago.
Mr Dorgan is survived by his wife, Hannah, his partner, Helen Twomey, and by two sons, Pat and Fergal.
Removal of remains takes place at 6pm this evening to the Church of Our Lady and St John, Carrigaline.
The Irish Times - Saturday 9 June 2001
Journalist and author equally at home
with European affairs or reporting on
Gaelic games
Sat, Jun 9, 2001, 01:00
Val Dorgan who died on June 2nd aged 67, was a fiery Cork Journalist and sportsman who could write as fluently and colourfully on European affairs as well as GAA games.
His career with Examiner Publications spanned 43 years during which he rose from a post int the commercial department to chief GAA correspondent, European affairs commentator and finally chief editor editorial writer.
He won the European Journalist of the Year award in 1987.
In his younger years Cal Dorgan played hurling with the famed Glen Rovers club in Blackpool, Cork alongside the legendary Christy Ring. He also represent Cork and Munster in squash.
He helped pioneer RTE television coverage of GAA games when working on Sports Report in the 1960's.
Daniel Valentine Dorgan was bona on February 13th, 1934. He grew up in Patrick's Arch. off Gerald Griffin Street on the north side of the River Lee. He was the only son of Patrick and Ellen Dorgan. Patrick Dorgan had fought with the British army in the second World War and had been a prisoner of was in Germany for four years.
Val Dorgan was educated at North Monastery CBS and received top marks in the Leaving Certificate which he sat through in Irish. He also won a medical scholarship for children of British army veterans and studied medicine briefly and University College Cork, but abandoned a medical career for journalism.
His passion in those years was hurling and although short in stature he won his way onto Cork county minor teams.
As a teenager he joined Glen Rovers and was thrilled to play alongside Christy Ring, winning several championship medals.
In his later book on Christy, Christy Ring (1980) Val Dorgan wrote: "Her was, and alway swill be, my sports idol. I was incredibly lucky as a teenager to play with him for Glen Rovers and be his team-mate for four county championships from 1952 to 1955. As a GAA reporter I covered his games until he finished in '67." They later played "ferociously competitive" squash against each other.
Christy Ring was one of the inspirations for the main figure in Cal Dorgan's play The Hurler in which he explored the relationship between republicanism and the GAA, but Ring was not impressed with the play according to its author. The then president, Dr Patrick Hillery fulfilled a promise to the author, by attending the first night at the Granary Theatre in UCC. Val Dorgan had come to know Dr Hillery when he was leaving Ireland's EEC entry negations as Minister for Foreign Affairs.
There was some apprehension among the Irish negotiating team when they heard that the Cork Examiner had appointed "a sports journalist" to report on the negotiations. But Val Dorgan quickly showed he could grasp the main issues and write informed and at times lively articles about complex subjects.
As he was to write later:"The encouraging difference between covering GAA and the EEC is the nobody punches you in a city fish and chip shop over 'Monetary Compensation Accounts'." Val Dorgan also began covering events in Northern Ireland when violence erupted in the Bogside in Derry in 1969. He reported extensively on the Widgery Tribunal investigating the Bloody Sunday killings of 13 civilians in Derry by British paratroopers.
He also kept a close eye on domestic politics. Politicians calm to respect and fear his pungent commentaries and reporting. He was the first journalist to write about Dr Garret FitzGerald's "crusade" to reform the Constitution soon after he became Taoiseach in 1981. In an interview with Val Dorgan which the rest of the media quickly followed up, Dr FitzGerald indicated he would like to amend articles Two and Three dealing with Partition as well as other articles he saw as "sectarian" in nature.
Gold became a passion for Val Dorgan when he took it up at a comparatively late stage. He made a bet with friends that he would get his handicap down to a single figure inside six months and he did. He also wrote a well-received gold column, "The View From the Bunker".
He retired from the Examiner in 1996 and concentrated on gold which he played until recently.
Val Dorgan is survived by his partner Helen Twomey, his wife Hannah and two sons, Pat and Fergal.
Val Dorgan: born 1934; died June 2001.
|
1934 - 2001 (67 years)
: Address
: Location
: City/Town
: County/Shire
: State/Province
: Country
: Not Set