Michael O'Toole who died on April 17th, aged 61, was a journalist who was extremely proud of his craft and fiercely committed to his employer of many years, the Irish Press group.
He was widely known as the author of Dubliner's Diary in the Evening Press - a very popular column which was read way beyond the Pale.
However, he singularly lacked the airs and graces such recognition often brings.
He was born in Hospital, Co Limerick, in 1938 and never forgot his Limerick roots. He was educated by the Presentation Sisters in Hospital and by the De La Salle Brothers. He later studied at the Polytechnic in Central London and at Trinity College, Dublin.
His first job was as a waiter at Shannon Airport in the sales and catering company founded by Brendan O'Regan. This led to an interest in tourism and aviation which he never lost.
He began his journalistic career with the Limerick Weekly Echo and District Advertiser, moving to the Limerick Leader and later to the Leinster Leader.
In his book, More Kicks Than Pence, published in 1992, he described the hilarious life he encountered in his first journalistic job. He recalled how one reporter wrote about a divine apparition within the paper's circulation area. A wise editor spiked the story, guessing - correctly - that the journalist was under the influence at the time of the alleged appearance.
Michael O'Toole had a fund of these stories and his arrival at the Irish Press building in Burgh Quay in 1964, at the age of 26, added to the store. He always claimed that he got the job in the first place because the company was going through a bout of cost-cutting and could afford only the services of "humble scribes from the provinces".
In more prosperous times, he persuaded the company to pay for flying lessons so that he could fulfil more satisfactorily his duties as The Irish Press aviation correspondent.
His dedication to his craft was total. Colleagues recall how he was returning on the train from a tourism conference in Rosslare when a Bord Failte executive casually mentioned that it was about to promote year-round tourism - then a revolutionary concept. Though the hour was late, Michael O'Toole got off the train in Wicklow, found a telephone and got the story through to the Burgh Quay newsroom.
He succeeded Terry O'Sullivan as the regular Dubliner's Diary columnist.
In his book he defended the role of the social diarist.
They are not, or should not, be recyclers of public relations handouts, he wrote. At the same time, public relations people have stories to tell and the reader is entitled to hear them, provided they are told well and accurately. He was deeply unhappy about the long decline of the Irish Press group and was devastated when the publication of the Press newspapers stopped in May 1995.
He gathered himself together and began to freelance, then joined the Evening Herald, where he contributed a weekly opinion column, writing frequently on subjects such as aviation; judicial secrecy; religious hypocrisy; and his opposition to the death penalty. He also wrote pieces for The Irish Times' Irishman's Diary.
A champion of the cause of the prolific Limerick writer, Kate O'Brien, he was involved in a summer school dedicated to restoring her to her rightful place in Irish letters.
He is survived by his wife, Maureen Browne; his daughter, Orla; and sons, Feargal and Justin.
Michael O'Toole: born 1938; died April, 2000