In a guest lecture to Master of Journalism students at the University of Limerick, veteran journalist Tommy Conlon urged the aspiring journalists to be “true to themselves.”
Tommy grew up in Ballinamore, County Leitrim, in a family where “there were two newspapers bought every day”. This background inspired Mr. Conlon to study journalism in Dublin for a year.
He then built a career which saw him writing for the likes of The Sunday Times, The Sunday Independent, and a range of other publications.
Tommy told the class to “be true to yourselves and find your own voice”, adding that “you won’t have to look too hard as your voice will rise organically, out of your soul with your creativity and training.”
As well as being a journalist and columnist, Mr Conlon has written and ghostwritten a number of books. One book written by the Leitrim native, “The Kidnapping,” covers the story of the kidnapping of businessman Don Tidy by members of the IRA in the Derrada Woods, County Leitrim.
He advised the class to “be the voice, even if nobody else is speaking up, as we have a responsibility to”. Tommy, who was fearful of covering the topic due to the sensitive nature, said it was a recurring thought that “he had to cover” this story due to his proximity to the area where it occurred.
Mr. Conlon, who is an avid sports fan, has also ghostwritten the autobiographies of rugby legends Keith Earls and Conor Murray, as well as footballer Ronnie Whelan.
Tommy spoke to the class about the importance of learning the voice of their subject. He said it was vital to replicate the language used, dialect, and the tone to deliver an autobiography that was true to the subject.
Mr. Conlon described how he met with Keith Earls for three hours at a time at the rugby legend’s home. He explained how he crafted a story from 250,000 words compiled from several meetings, down to 90,000.
He explained the importance of open communication with a subject to deliver an authentic piece “Keith would tell me, I wouldn’t say that or I wouldn’t use that word”, the careful construction of the piece led to people mentioning to Keith that it sounded like him talking to them.
The veteran journalist told the Limerick Voice if there was one skill he wished he had mastered earlier it would be shorthand. He said that during his career he had been recording and transcribing interviews, “Whereas if I had learnt shorthand, it would have saved me labour and time.”