Mr George Hetherington, a former joint managing director of The Irish Times, has died. He was in his 90s.
Mr Hetherington became a shareholder in The Irish Times in 1954.
He was joint managing director of Hely Thom, the Dublin printing firm and he was an acknowledged expert on printing. He became a director of The Irish Times after the sale of the Arnott shareholding.
The first Sir John Arnott acquired The Irish Times in 1873. Control of the company had remained in the hands of the Arnott family after his death.
However in 1954, the bulk of the ordinary shares held by the Arnott family were sold to a group of Dublin businessmen, including Mr Hetherington. The other shareholders were Mr Ralph Walker, a partner in the firm of solicitors, Hayes & Sons; Mr Philip Walker and the then company chairman, Mr Frank Lowe.
The Irish Times Ltd said at the time that the change was intended to "ensure that in all foreseeable circumstances the policy of The Irish Times newspaper shall remain unchanged".
In 1960, Mr Hetherington relinquished his position as joint managing director of The Irish Times, citing pressure of other business. Mr Douglas Gageby, who would later become editor, became the sole managing director, and Major T.B. McDowell joined the board of the company.
In 1974 Mr Hetherington sold his shares in the company, which then became a trust.
An important collection of literary documents by and about James Joyce, which belonged to Mr Hetherington, is to be auctioned by Mealys of Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny, on December 5th and 6th next. It includes two autograph letters by Joyce to Mr Hetherington's father-in-law, Thomas Keohler, a poet and mystic, who was a friend of Joyce in the early years of the last century.
Mr Hetherington is survived by his wife, Christine. He was the father of Lucy and the late Frank and step-father of Donal, Fidelma and the late Kate.