Vere Wynne-Jonesdies aged 56

Former RTÉ broadcaster Vere Wynne-Jones has died aged 56, following a four-year battle against cancer.

Mr Wynne-Jones was best known as a newsreader and sports commentator with RTÉ, where he began working in 1978. He also worked as a senior journalist and news editor with the station and was a founding member of the 2FM sports department. In the early 1990s he left RTÉ to work in public relations, but continued to contribute to the RTÉ radio sports department. In recent years he also presented sports and current affairs programmes with radio station Q102.

Until 2000 he was director of the consumer division at Slattery Public Relations and most recently was a director of media and communications consultancy High Performance Training.

He was also a leader in education and as a teacher in the early 1970s was part of the team that developed and implemented the transition year.

A Freemason, Mr Wynne-Jones spoke openly about his involvement with the organisation, and had said it helped him during his illness and also gave him an opportunity to become involved in charitable work.

In a statement last night, RTÉ said it was with "great sadness" the station had learned of his death. "He made a remarkable contribution to broadcasting and will be fondly remembered by everyone who worked with him and by future generations who trained under him in recent years."

He is survived by his wife, Jenny, and children Stephen and Ruth.