Obituary: Liam Boyle

He had been an electronic inspector in Reuters’ assembly and test group in London led by Barry Barnett.

Former members of Reuters London technical staff Neil Stanley, John Roche and John O’Sullivan attended the funeral at St Peter and St Paul’s Catholic church in Clonmel, his home town, on 29 June. He was laid to rest in St Patrick’s cemetery, Clonmel.

Boyle chose the entrance procession music, entrance and offertory hymns himself. He wrote “A Note from Liam” in the order of service and requested that “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” be sung by all those at the graveside. His lifelong friend Johnny Morrissey read a moving eulogy.

John Freeman, formerly the senior management executive with responsibility for the company’s relationship with the UK trades unions, writes: “Liam was the outstanding union leader of his generation, steering a sensible course through the choppy waters of the 1970s and 1980s.

“When he became FoC the Fleet Street unions were extremely powerful and national newspapers danced to their tune. Liam never allowed the extremists to take over his chapel.

“Later, when Mrs Thatcher and Rupert Murdoch turned the scales in favour of management Liam made sure his members were not exploited.

“On a personal level I always found Liam a most likeable person with deeply-held views on politics, particularly the division of Ireland. We met many times across the negotiating table and even when feelings ran high we could always enjoy a drink after the talks.” ■