Tributes paid after death of former Irish Examiner photographer Kieran Clancy

David Raleigh

Tributes have been paid to award-winning Irish press photographer Kieran Clancy, who sadly passed away following an illness on Friday.

Originally from Mayorstone, on the outskirts of the Treaty City, Clancy worked for various news and public relations agencies. and was regarded by many as one of Ireland’s premier press and commercial photographers.

He had battled with Parkinson’s disease for a number of years and passed away surrounded by family at a nursing home in Co Clare.

Clancy enjoyed a fruitful career as a freelance photojournalist after he worked for twenty years as a staff photographer with the Cork Examiner, later, the Irish Examiner, based in Limerick and covering news, sport and entertainment stories across the mid-west region.

He was previously President of the Press Photographers Association of Ireland (IPPA), and in 2021, he was awarded with an Honorary Membership of the association, in recognition of his “outstanding contribution” to the association and press photography in Ireland.

“He had a great eye for a photograph and the story being told in the image,” said Clancy’s former colleague and friend, Noel Gavin, formerly Irish Daily Star, and the Press 22 photographic agency.

“He was very competitive, we all were, but Kieran was stealthy, he would always get the best photo, the best angle, and he did it quietly.”

“He was a great credit to his Dad, Seán, who was so long in the photograph business before him.”

Legendary Limerick photographer, Owen “Southie” South also paid tribute: “Kieran was a lovely man, he was great photographer with the Examiner working in Limerick, his death is very sad.”

“He was a great colleague, a great guy, and he was meticulous with every job that he did — he always did it right.”

Liam Burke, who worked alongside Clancy for decades in Limerick, said: “Kieran was a wonderful award winning photographer, he was a friend to everybody.”

Clancy’s late father Seán Clancy worked in Limerick as mid-west regional photojournalist for the Irish Independent, and, his late brother, Kevin Clancy, was regarded as a pioneering press photographer and was one of the first photographers nationally who transitioned from photographic film rolls to the digital format.

“He was an inspirational photographer for a lot of us on the job. He was a pure gentleman, he had a great eye and he was so enthusiastic about the job, it’s very sad,” said freelance photographer Brendan Gleeson.

Kieran Clancy photographed presidents to paupers and all in between over his stellar career. After his retirement from the press corps in 2016 he continued in the field of wedding photography and commercial markings.

Recalling one of many fond memories of working alongside Clancy, Noel Gavin, said: “I remember a really funny incident involving Kieran during an occasion when the former US President Gerald Ford stopped over at Shannon airport at some unearthly hour, and we were there taking photographs in the airport’s VIP room where they used to bring dignitaries.”

“Kieran was trying to get a better angle on a shot, and there was a glass coffee table in the middle of the room and Kieran decided to sit on it to get a low shot, and the glass cracked to the exact sound of a gunshot.”

“President Ford visibly jumped in his chair and all his security guys thought someone was after shooting him, and that could have been the end of Kieran then.”

Funeral arrangements will be announced later.