Obituaries

Ted Crosbie Obituary: Cork merchant prince and newspaper proprietor

Having worked in the family company since he was a teenager, it was painful for him late in life to see its near-disintegration and sale

Ted Crosbie pictured in 2018. Photograph: Eddie O'Hare

Sat Oct 15 2022 - 19:00

Born: April 30th, 1931

Died: October 9th, 2022

Metaphorically speaking, it can truly be said of Thomas Edward (Ted) Crosbie, who has died at the age of 91, that printer’s ink coursed through his veins. Born into Ireland’s oldest publishing family, he had a particular interest in the technological side of the newspaper industry and under many decades of his management, the Cork Examiner group was at the cutting edge of the print media in this country.

Educated by the Christian Brothers, he graduated from UCC with a science degree in 1952 and immediately joined the family business on a permanent basis having worked there on and off since 1949 when he was a teenager.

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He was well liked by the staff, most of whom he knew by their first names and if the memory failed he would address them in the Cork vernacular as ‘boy’

In a company operating under an almost feudal regime, even at that early age he was called “Mr Ted” by most of the staff. Blessed with a lively sense of humour, a real asset when he was touched by great sadness in both his private and public lives, he was well liked by the staff, most of whom he knew by their first names and if the memory failed he would address them in the Cork vernacular as “boy”. If he wished to discuss something with the editor or news editor, they would get a call saying “Mr Ted” wanted to see them.

He was heartbroken at the death of his wife, Gretchen in a car accident in 1996, and the subsequent death of his daughter Suzanne in 2007. He was also saddened over the 2018 sale, through Landmark Media Investments, of what remained of the newspapers with which the Crosbie family were synonymous.

Next to newspapers, Crosbie’s passion was sailing. A lifelong member of the Royal Cork Yacht Club, he was a former admiral of the club and one of its most influential members. In his latter years, he preferred cruising rather than racing and above all enjoyed sailing with his children and grandchildren.

One of Munster’s leading sailing personalities, he was acknowledged in 2011 for his immense contribution to the sport when his yacht, No Excuse, was awarded the RCYC’s Boat of the Year.

The Crosbies were one of a handful of dynasties — dubbed Merchant Princes — that dominated commercial life in Cork. Ted Crosbie was a member of the fourth generation of to go into the family business, Thomas Crosbie Holdings, named for his great grandfather who acquired control of The Cork Examiner in 1872 on the death of its founder, John Francis Maguire.

In a career devoted to advancing the fortunes of the group’s papers, initially in Cork and Waterford, he had flair for technology but in the event of a breakdown, was not above rolling up his sleeves and joining the mechanics to sort it out. He had an international reputation as a publisher who knew what he was talking about.

Perhaps the most dramatic change was the move from traditional Linotype or hot metal to computerised Web Offset in 1976, effectively giving the company the most modern printing system in Ireland

In his various roles as managing director and chairman of Thomas Crosbie Holdings, he transformed the production process of The Cork Examiner (or “De Paper” as it is known locally) and its sister paper, The Evening Echo.

Under his management perhaps the most dramatic change was the move from traditional Linotype or hot metal to computerised Web Offset in 1976, effectively giving the company the most modern printing system in Ireland. At a stroke, noisy typewriters and deafening line-casting machines were replaced by silent screens, softly clicking keyboards and photo typesetting. Ten years later, Examiner journalists were the first in Ireland to input stories directly into a computer system.

Buying spree

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the company went on a buying spree, snapping up regional titles as the group rapidly became the second largest newspaper stable in the country. The Cork Examiner was rebranded as the Examiner in 1996 and as the Irish Examiner in 2000 as it targeted a national audience. The group amassed a total of 18 titles, a media division and an online recruitment agency. At one stage, TCH was said to be worth €500 million.

As the economy soured and the fortunes of the newspaper industry took a turn for the worse, the value evaporated and TCH found itself deeply in debt to AIB, which eventually placed the group in receivership. Arguably, though he was approaching his 80s, had Crosbie’s experienced and firm hand been on the tiller, things might have worked out differently.

Determined to salvage what remained of the company, Crosbie and his son, Tom, who had injected their personal funds into a desperate effort to secure the 554 jobs in the business, searched for a new owner. Having survived good times and bad, in wars and economic recessions, the Crosbies sold the business to The Irish Times.

In recognition of Crosbie’s contribution to the economic, social and cultural life of Cork and the nation, he was conferred in 2007 with a doctorate by the National University of Ireland.

Predeceased by his wife Gretchen and by his daughter Suzanne, he is survived by his daughters Elizabeth and Sophie and his sons Tom, Andrew and Edward.

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