POLITICIANS in Derry have expressed their sympathies following the sudden death of veteran reporter Liam Clarke.
Liam, the political editor of the Belfast Telegraph for almost five years, died around 2 am this morning at his home in Ballymena, his family have said today.
It is understood he suffered a heart attack.
His wife Kathryn (Cathy) Johnston posted the news on her Facebook page this afternoon.
She penned: “I am very sorry to say that Liam Clarke died very suddenly but peacefully last night.”
He is survived by wife Cathy and a son and daughter.
SDLP MLA Colum Eastwood said on Facebook: “Very sorry to hear of Liam Clarke’s passing. RIP.’
In a statement, the SDLP leader added: “Liam Clarke is one of the most recognisable names in Irish journalism.
“That’s due not only to his distinguished career and remarkable work ethic but to his warm character and his good nature.
“Never one to give any politician an easy ride, Liam’s enduring professional qualities were his straight talking style and his dogged determination.
“A good journalist and a good man, he will be sorely missed.”
Martin McGuinness tweeted: “I”m sorry to hear Liam Clarke has died.
“My sympathy & condolences to his family.”
Liam had been battling a rare form of stomach cancer and wrote about his battle with the illness in his newspaper in March 2014.
He said he backed the ‘Dignity to Die’ campaign and was a practising Zen Buddhist.
The veteran journalist joined the Belfast Telegraph in January 2011 as its political editor.
He had previously been the northern editor of The Sunday Times where he first exposed Tom ‘Slab’ Murphy as a top Provisional IRA man and wealthy cross border pig smuggler.
Clarke also revealed how Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness were members of the IRA’s ruling Army Council.
He was also the first to reveal in The Sunday Time that the British Army had an agent at the highest echelons of the IRA who was codenamed ‘Stakeknife’.
The respected journalist also wrote the book ‘From Guns to Government’ which charted Martin McGuinness’s rise through the ranks of the IRA until he became deputy first minister.
His home was later raided by the PSNI looking for documentation relating to transcripts of bugged calls between the then Secretary of State Mo Mowlam and Martin McGuinness which he had published in his book.
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