{
  "id": 11238262,
  "title": "Former RTÉ Foreign Editor, Andrew Sheppard, dies aged 88",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/former-rte-foreign-editor-andrew-sheppard-dies-aged-88",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-01T16:47:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "RTE News",
    "slug": "rte-news",
    "url": "https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2026/1001/1593711-andy-sheppard-death/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Andrew Sheppard, the former foreign editor of RTÉ, has passed away at the age of 88. Born in Berlin in 1938 to a Jewish family, Sheppard managed to survive the war in Germany before moving to Britain in the late 1940s. He began his career with RTÉ in 1972 as the London Correspondent after working for the Manchester Evening News for five years. He later transferred to Ireland in 1977 and focused on Anglo-Irish affairs.\n\nSheppard held various positions within RTÉ, including Deputy Foreign Editor and Foreign Editor, before retiring in 2001 after more than two decades of service. He was a dedicated member of the National Union of Journalists and one of the founding members of the Irish section of the Association of European Journalists, serving as its two-term president. A graduate of Manchester University with expertise in anthropology and sociology, Sheppard had a keen interest in film and was a regular reviewer in London.\n\nIn his leisure time, he enjoyed jazz and supported Arsenal Football Club. He was survived by his wife Órla, his son Danny, his niece Karen, and his nephews Ian and Alastair. Sheppard's death was announced earlier today.",
  "summary": "Former RTÉ Foreign Editor and London Correspondent Andrew, or Andy, Sheppard has died.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}