THREE of Northern Ireland's most well-known journalists have paid to tribute to a former teacher who guided them in the early days of their career.
Born in Ballymoney in 1925, Joan Fitzpatrick (97) studied at Trinity College Dublin before starting as a reporter with the News Letter in the 1960s before lecturing in Practical Journalism at the Belfast College of Business Studies.
Her former pupils included broadcasters Eamonn Holmes and Paul Clarke as well as author and journalist Malachy O'Doherty.
She was married to the influential UTV producer Rory Fitzpatrick who died in 2019.
Speaking to the Irish News along with her filmmaker son Roger, all three said they owed much of their success to her no-nonsense teaching style.
Mr Clarke took Mrs Fitzpatrick's class at the start of his career 50 years ago, from 1972-3.
"I wasn't sure what kind of journalist I wanted to be, and I have to say on reflection she was brilliant," he said.
"Because once I hit the ground as a working journalist, my first job was actually aged 19 in the Irish News, I realised my year with Joan had built a great foundation.
"I ran into her over the years during her retirement and I never tired of saying thank you, for without her I wouldn't be able to do the job I do that day."
Having thrived in the male-dominated environment of 1960s journalism, Mr Clarke said she taught pupils not to limit their ambitions.
"When I think of all the stories and the twists and turns of my life, I can trace it all back to the grounding she gave me."
Mr Holmes recalled her as a stern character at first whose classrooms were filled with a haze of smoke.
"I have a lot to thank Joan and her husband for. Joan could be a little bit gruff and hard nosed if you didn't know her, but I always had a great relationship with her," he said.
"To see her smile was a lovely thing and often against her will I would make her laugh or smile."
He recalls laughter from classmates when he first announced his ambition to go into broadcasting instead of print journalism.
A year later while working in Dublin on "the most boring job you could imagine" on the Ulster Building Report, he said a life-changing call from Mrs Fitzpatrick tipped him that UTV were recruiting a farming reporter.
"I told her I didn't know anything about farming, but she said 'rule one of journalism Eamonn, find out.'
"And so I have always found it to be, whether it was about politics, news, sport or entertainment.
"So 43 years later I'm still finding out, and that was a simple thing that stayed with me for life."
"Rory and Joan were a formidable couple, which I mean in the nicest way. Now their children aren't just saying goodbye to their parents, but to people who were legends in our industry."
Mr O'Doherty recalled: "She could be a tough old boot, she was quite humoured and had lots of stories, but we were all feckless amateurs so if you said something stupid she could put you down with a rye look.
"She could be a stern teacher but was a good guide and helped a lot of us to get jobs."
Her son Roger said on joining the News Letter, his mother had been expected to concentrate on women's features like garden parties and fashion.
Determined to work on bigger stories, she bargained with her editor to write a weekly review in exchange for being assigned more serious subjects.
"I think she was a really good teacher, the high achievement of her prodigies speaks to that," he said.
Mrs Fitzpatrick's funeral will be held on February 14, at 12.40pm in Roselawn Crematorium.
