Men's untimely deaths recalled

Judges Special Award: Two men who died suddenly over the past year who had played a part in the theatre awards were remembered at the ceremony.

In his address Gerry Smyth, managing editor at The Irish Times spoke of both Michael Austen (51) and Jerome Hynes (45).

He said: "The sudden death [last Tuesday] of our deputy managing director, Michael Austen, has cast a dark shadow over the past few days at the newspaper.

"Michael, an esteemed and valued member of the paper's management team, was taken from us, as it were, in the blink of an eye. His skills and talents guided us through some of the most troubled days in the history of the paper."

He said that Michael and his wife Anne had been regulars at the event and extended the sympathy of all to Anne, and their children Kevin and Maeve-Ann.

Mr Smyth said the death of Jerome Hynes last September meant that the arts community had "lost its most passionate advocate, its most skilful manager and a greatly loved, genial and gentle colleague. His great gift was the realisation of dreams".

Jerome had been an inaugural judge for the awards. Tony O'Dalaigh, another of the inaugural judges, recalled that Jerome, when faced with a choice between an Abbey production of Tarry Flynn and Druid's Leenane Trilogy, had opted for Tarry Flynn. His death "left us all shocked and at a loss for words," he said. Both he and Gerry Smyth extended condolences to Jerome's wife Alma, his three sons, his mother Carmel and sister Garry.

In accepting the Judges Special Award for Druid Theatre, Garry paid tribute to him as "the man who taught me the essence of collaboration". Also at the event was Jerome's eldest son Conor.