MR John Horgan, journalist, author and former Labour TD and senator, has been appointed the State's first professor of journalism at Dublin City University, where he teaches in the Communications Department.
He resigned from the European Parliament in 1982 and took up the position of lecturer in journalism at DCU. He had been nominated to fill the European Parliament seat in September 1981 when Dr John O'Connell TD resigned on becoming Ceann Comhairle of the Dail.
He was education correspondent and religious affairs correspondent of The Irish Times from 1964 to 1973 and editor of the Education Times from 1973 to 1976.
Mr Horgan was elected a senator at 29, on the National University of Ireland panel, and served from 1969 to 1977. This was followed by periods as a TD (for the Dublin South constituency) and MEP.
He is a prolific author, broadcaster and commentator on journalism, politics and communications. His most recent book was a biography of Sean Lemass. In 1986 he wrote a book about the Labour Party, Labour - the Price of Power.