Debate contribution: Ken Reid

Debate contribution by Mr Gerry Kelly on 25 November 2024.

MLA

Mr Gerry Kelly

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

25 November 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Matter of the Day

Heading

Ken Reid

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4674467

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I think that many people will want to speak about Ken Reid. As Jonathan said, he was liked by all, which, in itself, is a great achievement. First, I send condolences to Ken's family and colleagues. I have listened to them, as Jonathan has, over the period since he passed. It is sometimes hard to listen to some of the stories, but he was clearly loved by his colleagues in journalism. I knew him since about the 1990s, so for quite a long period. He was north Belfast born and bred, which helped me, and he was a Cliftonville supporter, which also made it easier for the relationship. I always found him to be very quiet, very respectful and very polite, but he was also very determined, because he was passionate about what he did. His passion was a very quiet passion in all that he did, and, of course, he was a political animal. It is fair to say that I never heard him be abrasive, which says something about a journalist who has to deal with politicians and others. He was someone who it would have been very hard to fall out with, and he was highly respected by all, as we will find out today and as we have heard over the past number of days. During his illness, which was quite prolonged and happened in bouts, he showed a great courage and, of course, became an advocate for others who were suffering. I remember him through all the negotiations, through the transition from them, through the Assembly, through the

all the rest of it. I always found him balanced, which is also quite hard to achieve, and he also had a good sense of humour. In the middle of a corridor or in the middle of doing something in the Great Hall, he gave you a wee bit of a laugh. He will be well remembered, and, of all his achievements, the fact that he has friends across the board in every quarter is as good a legacy as you can have, and that is alongside all the things that he achieved as a journalist. He will be sadly missed. As someone who is around the same age as him — I am slightly older — I remember saying, "What would you like to be remembered as? As someone who had a very full life?", and he said, "As a good human being". That was a very simple thing to say, and I think that it goes for Ken.

423 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:38 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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