Press Releases15 Oct 10

Archbishop of Armagh pays tribute to Mr Jim Dougal

Mr Jim Dougal

From The Most Revd Alan Harper, OBE

‘The untimely death of Mr Jim Dougal, announced today, will sadden his very many friends and admirers in the Church of Ireland.

‘Jim Dougal had not one but two highly distinguished careers. He will be fondly remembered by most for his achievements as a television journalist with BBC (NI), UTV and RTE. Jim’s reports could be relied upon to be fair and objective and his interview technique penetrating yet not aggressive. His second career took him to the European Commission where he first headed the Commission’s office in Northern Ireland and subsequently became head of the European Commission for the whole of the UK.

‘In 2004, Jim returned to journalism. In early 2007 he produced an important documentary about my predecessor as Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh, Lord Robin Eames, entitled The Eternal Optimist. Dougal Media, a company Jim set up with his son, provided many other services, among them training in media related skills. In this context Jim became a constructive and able teacher to many in the Church of Ireland.

‘Jim, will be very much missed by us all and I offer my sincere condolences to his wife and the Dougal family in their sad bereavement.’

ENDS