![](//www.4rfv.com/4rfv_news_images/rte_scripts/TD85XQOWR4ZV_0.jpg)
Former RT journalist Tommie Gorman has died at the age of 68, his family have announced. After 41 years, Tommie signed off from RT News for the final time in May 2021.
RT Director General, Kevin Bakhurst paid tribute to his former colleague and friend: I am deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Tommie Gorman. I met Tommie on Monday evening he was in good form and optimistic ahead of planned surgery this week. Tommie was not only a great friend and colleague to me, and to so many in RT and beyond, he was also a journalist of outstanding pedigree, integrity and incredible tenacity. As RT 's Northern Editor he was the voice of an era as that era itself transformed from violence to peace. Tommie guided us through the intricacies with colour, command and panache. He was a storyteller journalist like no other. I am so deeply sorrowed by his loss and extend my personal sympathies to Tommie's family.
Deirdre McCarthy, Managing Director of RT News & Current Affairs said:
We are incredibly saddened following the death of our former colleague Tommie Gorman. Tommie was a giant in Irish journalism and an integral part of RT News for over forty years. From Belfast to Brussels, and his beloved Sligo, Tommie was an outstanding Irish journalist and story breaker throughout his long career in RT News. Familiar to so many of our audiences at a critical time in Northern Ireland following the Good Friday Agreement, Tommie reported from Belfast until his retirement in 2021. His talent and tenacity as a journalist saw him cover a vast range of stories during his career. He was trusted by many to share their stories, from Roy Keane to senior Northern Ireland political figures, his energy and professionalism were always highly regarded.
Born in 1956, Tommie was a native of Sligo. He was educated in Summerhill College and at the College of Journalism, Rathmines, Dublin. He spent three years working in the Ballina-based Western Journal before joining RT in 1980 as North-West correspondent. In 1989, he moved to Brussels to become Europe Editor. He was made Northern Editor in 2001, a position he held for 20 years.
He also made several documentaries including Europe, Cancer and Me, The Queen's Speech, Paisley - from Troublemaker to Peacemaker and Inside Court No. 5, an account of the Michaela McAreavey murder trial in Mauritius.
In his final work with RT , Tommie presented an insightful documentary Ireland, Cancer and Me, a personal account of living with a cancer condition. In 1994, when he was 37 and working as RTE's Brussels-based Europe Correspondent, Tommie Gorman was diagnosed with cancer, Neuro-endocrine tumours (NETS). Two of those who fought long battles with the condition were the founder of Apple, Steve Jobs and the singer, Aretha Franklin.
In the early days of his diagnosis with cancer, Tommie discovered that under EU law, he was entitled to treatment available in another EU state if that treatment was cost effective and useful. In 1998 Tommie Gorman became the first Irish citizen to access treatment at a Swedish Centre of Excellence. He availed of an EU directive to qualify for that care. His documentary for RT at the time about his treatment called Europe, Cancer and Me, charted his cancer treatment and healthcare that was available to Irish people under EU law. It helped open the door for hundreds of Irish patients to follow in his footsteps to Sweden and other EU countries to get wide ranging and vital treatments.
Following his retirement from RT he went on to write a book, Never Better, My Life in Our Times, and continued as a journalist, writing a column for The Currency.
RT extends sincere sympathies to Tommie's family his wife Ceara, daughter Moya and son Joe, his former colleagues and many friends.
Ar dheis D go raibh a anam.
More from RTE
06/09/2024
The series will return to four episodes a week from Friday September 20th
Who will escape the flames? | Fair City | RT One & RT Player
This month marks a ...
06/09/2024
How will you Culture Night with RT ?
RT Radio 1: Sunday Miscellany Special f...
03/09/2024
How different is everyday life in the North of this country, compared to the Rep...
02/09/2024
Netflix UK & Ireland has acquired RT Factual's in-house docudrama The Nobod...
02/09/2024
Watch our promo: RT Supporting the Arts | What's on YouTube
This September RT is delighted to support the Arts Council's Culture Night initiative ...
02/09/2024
Dubliner Florence Okojie announced as RT news2day presenter
First time television presenter Florence Okojie aged 23 from Dublin is the newest addition to th...
30/08/2024
RT - in collaboration with Ireland's independent production sector - will d...
26/08/2024
RT One's acclaimed natural history series, Ireland's Wild Islands, has ...
23/08/2024
Joseph Hoban has been announced as RT 's new Head of Communications, Marketi...
22/08/2024
RT Statement
In a note to RT staff today (Thursday 22nd August 2024), RT Director-General, Kevin Bakhurst confirmed as follows:
Dear colleagues,
I would l...
21/08/2024
Over half a million viewers tuned in to RT One and RT Player to watch the 2024...
21/08/2024
Over 100 hours of television coverage on RT 2
500 hours of live action over 4...
21/08/2024
Every game from Women's UEFA Euro 2025 live on RT 2 and RT Player
UEFA Nations League and Euro 2025 play-off games live
As new Republic of Ireland Men...
15/08/2024
RT 's radio services reach over 2 million adults* or 48% of the adult population every week with gains for all RT stations
RT holds 17 of the top 20 radi...
13/08/2024
Figures from RT 's extensive Olympic Games coverage show that the public took Team Ireland and the 2024 Games straight to their hearts, tuning in to RT for...
07/08/2024
Last night's Women's 60kg Olympic Boxing final from Roland Garros, which...
06/08/2024
This August, RT is delighted to support National Heritage Week, celebrating Ireland's built, cultural and natural heritage, with events taking place right ...
01/08/2024
This August, RT is set to premiere a new range of documentaries on television f...
01/08/2024
RT is today publishing a statistical summary from the Register of External Activities for the first quarter of 2024.
The RT Register of External Activities (...
29/07/2024
Scannal celebrates two decades of trusted storytelling with
Scannal 20 Bliain
...
29/07/2024
Over 350,000 streams on RT Player
Yesterday's All Ireland Senior Football ...
25/07/2024
RT has rights to broadcast the 2024 Olympic Games in the Republic of Ireland only. RT is not permitted to broadcast the 2024 Olympic Games in Northern Ireland...
24/07/2024
Commenting, Director-General of RT , Kevin Bakhurst said:
RT welcomes today&...
23/07/2024
AVERAGE AUDIENCE UP OVER 200,000 ON LAST YEAR'S FINAL
Clare's thrilling...
22/07/2024
Church received four separate complaints of childhood sexual abuse against Bisho...
19/07/2024
Cuirfidh RT craoladh ioml n i nGaeilge ar f il beo n taobhl ne ar na cluich c...
19/07/2024
Coverage of all 17 days across TV, Radio and Online following Team Ireland's...
15/07/2024
2FM has teamed up with the Road Safety Authority (RSA), the Gaelic Players Association, the FAI, the IRFU and a host of Irish musicians to record road safety me...
15/07/2024
RT PLAYER STREAMS MORE THAN TRIPLE FOR UEFA EURO 2024 VERSUS 2020 TOURNAMENT
9...
15/07/2024
Are you going to the Fleadh? RT will be there.
WATCH our promo
Wexford Town will host the Comhaltas Fleadh Cheoil na h ireann 2024 and, as traditional musici...
09/07/2024
RT News is pleased to announce the appointment of journalist, Shane Curraigh n, as Northwest Correspondent. Shane will be reporting and providing analysis ac...
04/07/2024
RT Investigates and the Sunday Independent announce major new joint investigati...
03/07/2024
RT will present comprehensive coverage of the UK General Election 2024 results on Thursday 4th and Friday 5th July across digital, television and radio platfor...
02/07/2024
RT is seeking expressions of interest in presenting single or double header roles on RTE 2fm.
RT 2FM's primary purpose is to provide relevant speech, mus...
02/07/2024
RT News is pleased to announce the appointment of Tommy Meskill as its new London Correspondent. Tommy has been a journalist with RT News for eight years, mos...
01/07/2024
Watch our promo: RT Supporting the Arts | What's on YouTube
This July, RT is delighted to support a fantastic array of events around the country. In Ga...
28/06/2024
Over 250 hours of Olympics coverage and over 100 hours of Paralympics coverage
Two new series on our Irish Olympians' journey
At an event in RT today, ...
28/06/2024
4.2 million streams last week with Player on track to break 2023 records
RT Pl...
27/06/2024
3.6million in 122 grants to benefit 1.1million children in every county in Irela...
25/06/2024
Former RT journalist Tommie Gorman has died at the age of 68, his family have announced. After 41 years, Tommie signed off from RT News for the final time in ...
25/06/2024
RT Raidi na Gaeltachta today announced the death of legendary sport broadcaste...
20/06/2024
First episode airs Thursday June 27 at 10:15pm and features Rhasidat Adeleke, Ge...
14/06/2024
Anna Geary and Sonia O'Sullivan go head-to-head for the first time
It's set to be one of the most competitive seasons to date on Ireland's Fittest ...
13/06/2024
All 51 games live and free-to-air
45 games live on RT 2 & RT Player plus 6 final group games on RT Player & RT News channel
RT Sport team includes new si...
12/06/2024
Hidden cameras capture horses being repeatedly hit and punched around the head
Images show a horse too weak to stand being prodded with a pitchfork
Major...
11/06/2024
RT took home Torcs in the current affairs, history, live music, single document...
10/06/2024
Hidden camera footage captures systematic abuse of horses
This Wednesday & Th...
07/06/2024
A NEW PODCAST SERIES FROM RT DOCUMENTARY ON ONE
FEATURING EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO CARRIE JADE WILLIAMS
LISTEN TO TRAILER HERE
In 2021, a 32-year-old English wom...
06/06/2024
Prime Time's report tonight examines the failures of the Charities Regulator...
06/06/2024
RT has announced details of comprehensive elections results coverage across digital, television, and radio platforms beginning this weekend. After the public h...