FORMER BROADCASTER DAVID Davin-Power was a “journalistic giant” who had an “eloquence” as a broadcaster, mourners heard.
The well-known former RTÉ political correspondent, nicknamed ‘DDP’, died last week aged 72 after an illness.
Mourners who gathered at St Vincent de Paul Church in Marino heard how he “embraced the madness of family life” which he juggled along with the demands of his almost 50-year journalism career.
The Dubliner became part of the RTÉ Radio team that set up Morning Ireland in 1984, with he and David Hanly becoming its first co-presenters.
Davin-Power later served as RTÉ Northern Ireland editor and reported on the peace process, before working as a political correspondent at Leinster House for more than 15 years.
He retired in 2017 – criticising RTE’s policy of retiring at 65 as “redundancy by age” – but continued to write columns for The Times Ireland edition and the Sunday Independent.
At his funeral mass, attended by President Michael D Higgins, mourners heard he was “a man of faith” and Dublin was one of his favourite subjects.
His son Nick described the family move to Belfast in 1991 when Mr Davin-Power became RTÉ’s Northern Ireland editor.
“Although the Northern editor posting was challenging in those days, dad did a fantastic job in sheltering us from the darker side of Belfast,” he said.
“I do recall, however, on one occasion at our house we’d been living in, some sectarian graffiti appearing on the side wall after locals had established our persuasion, dad furiously scrubbing before we returned home.”
He said that as the 1990s progressed, so did the intensity of his father’s work, which sometimes crossed into family life.
“Such as in August ’96, dad was driving the three of us down the Lisburn Road in Belfast when his suitcase-sized mobile phone started buzzing. Pulling over and answering, dad’s face dropped, the phone call ends.
“‘The ceasefire is over kids, it’s just been called in’. Two years of peace evaporating before our eyes.
“The feeling of disbelief being shaken off by dad as his mind turned to doing the job – get the children home, get them safe and fed, contact the London office, Canary Wharf in an hour, assemble a crew.”
Caroline said her father “was his work, he was his family” and “never pushed away” family requirements.
“Every Christmas, Julia and I would be given his book wish list, which ranged from books on Dublin’s lampposts, cinemas, graveyards and canals to name a few. My sister joked if there was an encyclopaedia on Dublin sewers, dad would be at the book launch.
“Dad’s affection for Dublin was symptomatic of his wider love for his country. He knew the length and breadth of Ireland. In the pre-Google Map era, if we were ever lost on an Irish country road, a call would be made to dad, and he would navigate us out.”
Davin-Power’s sister Mary said that they both had similar tastes in literature, music and poetry and thanked their parents for that influence, before reciting Brendan Kennelly’s poem ‘Begin’.
Davin-Power’s nephew Manus Carlisle told the congregation: “David made his mark on the world by bringing news of the day into all of our sitting rooms. He delivered the facts in a balanced, fair and insightful manner.”
Retired RTÉ newsreader Bryan Dobson told mourners that although Davin-Power had been ill, his friends and family had hoped there would be more time with him.
He said many friends were “deeply shocked” at news of his death, and had been looking forward to hearing his thoughts on the upcoming general election.
“We hoped there might yet be time, time to meet for a pint, to share a meal, to recommend a good book, to attend a concert, to watch a cricket match, or just to talk. Because DDP was the best of company.
“His conversation sparkled. It was witty, informed, opinionated and wide-ranging.
“He held firm views on a variety of topics – government quangos, not a fan. Enforced retirement – unjust and outdated.
“And the Griffith Avenue bicycle lane. As a cyclist, I rashly suggested it was a great piece of infrastructure – that didn’t end well.”
He said the tributes that had poured in since Davin-Power’s death had described him as “knowledgeable, intelligent, incisive, trusted, a consummate broadcaster, funny, supportive, caring, a great storyteller”.
He said for those who were friends with him, he was also “loyal, generous, mischievous, curious, gregarious” as well as “a loving husband, a proud father and a besotted grandfather”.
Davin-Power is survived by his wife Dearbhla and his children Nick, Caroline, Julia, Ben and Emily.
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