‘Powerhouse’ Journalist Jim McDowell Remembered After Death Aged 76

Tributes have been paid to Jim McDowell, the veteran Northern Ireland journalist who died at the age of 76. McDowell served as northern editor of the Sunday World for 25 years and worked in journalism across Northern Ireland for nearly half a century.

He was a leading advocate for justice in the case of Martin O’Hagan, the Sunday World reporter who was fatally shot by loyalists in Lurgan, County Armagh, in September 2001. McDowell himself also received death threats from loyalist paramilitaries during his career.

His funeral notice described him as “the bravest of the brave” and a “legend.” Friends and colleagues remembered him for his courage, integrity and deep connection to Belfast.

Patrick Corrigan, head of nations and regions at Amnesty UK, shared a photograph of McDowell taken at the Duke of York pub in Belfast—a venue long associated with journalists—and recalled how McDowell had shared the trauma of O’Hagan’s murder and the repeated threats they faced.

BBC community correspondent Mark Simpson said he “looked up to Jim McDowell in every way,” describing him as “brave, brilliant, and the best of Belfast.” BBC presenter Stephen Nolan called McDowell “a powerhouse of personality and integrity,” expressing sorrow at the loss of “one of Northern Ireland’s best and most colourful journalists.”

BBC producer Karen English remembered McDowell as “a unique one-of-a-kind journalism powerhouse,” noting that his influence extended far beyond the newsroom. She extended her thoughts to his wife Lindy, daughter Faye, and sons Jamie and Micah.

McDowell’s funeral service was held on May 2nd at St George’s Church in Belfast.