The former Editor of The Impartial Reporter, Mervyn Dane has died. The highly respected journalist passed away peacefully at his home in Enniskillen on Tuesday, surrounded by his family. 


Mr. Dane, who was awarded an MBE for his services to journalism in 2003, spent 49 years in local journalism, 47 of them with this newspaper. 


During his long and distinguished career Mr. Dane covered some of the most difficult periods in Fermanagh, in particular the dark days of the Troubles. He reported on Royal visits, court cases and more humourous stories around the county and was respected by his readers and fellow colleagues.


Willy Clingan, the managing editor of The Irish Times, has fond memories of Mr. Dane when he joined The Impartial Reporter as a trainee reporter 43 years ago.


“I knew nothing about journalism; he knew everything; how to build a network of contacts, how to find a story and how to write it. But his professionalism went so much further; in everything he wrote, he was fair, kind and decent to people without compromising accuracy and the whole story. That's quite a trick to pull off, week after week and year after year,” he said. 


This week's Impartial Reporter will feature many more tributes to the husband of Betty and father of Noelle, Caroline, Tommy and Lily, a journalist with The Impartial Reporter.


Mr. Dane's funeral service will take place at St. Macartin's Cathedral in Enniskillen on Thursday at 2pm with interment afterwards at Sydare Cemetery (via Mullaghmeen Road).