Gageby family donates books and papers to DCU as historical record

The family of the late Douglas Gageby has donated a collection of his books and papers to Dublin City University.

The family of the late Douglas Gageby has donated a collection of his books and papers to Dublin City University.

The former Irish Times editor's collection was handed over to DCU by members of his extended family at a reception in the university's library last evening.

The collection includes a selection from his personal library of books about Irish journalism as well as personal copies of editorials written by him over many years on a wide range of topics. He was editor of The Irish Times from 1963 to 1974 and again from 1977 to 1986.

The president of DCU, Prof Ferdinand von Prondzynski, said the university was very grateful to the Gageby family for the collection and he felt DCU was "a good home" for the papers, given that it trained many journalists in its school of communications. "It is a real pleasure for us to receive these papers," he said.

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He added it was fitting the donation was made as the university celebrated its 25th anniversary.

John Gageby, a son of Douglas Gageby, said his father would have been delighted to know his papers had entered DCU.

He attended the reception with his sisters Mrs Justice Susan Denham and Sally Berman and brother Patrick Gageby SC.

Geraldine Kennedy, editor of The Irish Times, said Mr Gageby was editor of the newspaper for periods spanning some of the most turbulent if exciting developments North and South.

"I think it can fairly be said of Mr Gageby that he moved The Irish Times from the margins to the mainstream of Irish public life. It was a huge achievement," she said.