In a statement his family said he died “peacefully” surrounded by family as they paid tribute to “a cherished husband, father, brother, and friend”.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Tommie, who left us peacefully on 25th June 2024 surrounded by his family,” it said.
“Tommie was a cherished husband, father, brother, and friend whose innate kindness and generosity of spirit touched the lives of all who knew him.
“His memory will forever remain in our hearts, and his spirit will continue to guide and inspire us every day. Tommie is survived by his loving wife Ceara, children Joe and Moya, sister Mary and brother Michael who will deeply miss his kindness, wisdom, humour, and presence.
“Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.”
The Sligo-born broadcaster worked for RTÉ News for more than 40 years in a variety of roles. He was Europe editor before moving to Belfast in 2001 to become the station’s northern editor.
Described as the “beating heart of RTÉ News”, he retired from the broadcaster in 2021.
President Michael D Higgins said Mr Gorman will be remembered as one of the “outstanding public service broadcasters of his generation”.
“Over more than 40 years reporting for RTÉ, he was a widely trusted and deeply insightful commentator on the North-West, Brussels and, perhaps most notably, Northern Ireland, where his incisive and well-informed commentary brought news of critical developments for twenty years,” he said.
“Throughout that time, Tommie was respected by all sides of the political spectrum and was a trusted source of information for the public during challenging years, the fostering of peace, and all that was achieved in Anglo-Irish relations over that time.
“A naturally empathetic person, Tommie’s courageous and generous work with cancer survivors leaves a very significant legacy which I hope will bring comfort to his family and all those who knew him. In speaking and writing about his own experiences, he brought a greater public awareness and understanding of the conditions and the treatments available for them.
“As anyone who ever met Tommie will know, he was a tireless champion of Sligo, and reflecting his lifelong love of soccer, of Sligo Rovers. Whether talking about the Bit o’ Red or Tottenham Hotspur, Tommie always knew every minute detail of the clubs and their fortunes.
“In a career renowned for being the first on the spot with key developments, Tommie will of course always be remembered for his interview with Roy Keane following his departure from Saipan and going to Greece to interview Seamus Heaney following the announcement that he was to receive the Nobel Prize.
“May I express my deepest condolence to Tommie’s wife Ceara, to his children Moya and Joe, and to all his family, colleagues and many friends.”
An emotional Kevin Bakhurst told RTÉ staff today that he had dinner with Tommie Gorman a week ago.
The RTÉ director general was close friends with Mr Gorman and paid tribute to his former colleague.
Mr Bakhurst was speaking at a town hall meeting of RTÉ staff just as word of Mr Gorman’s passing emerged.
Leading the tributes, Taoiseach Simon Harris told the Dáil the veteran reporter made an “incredible contribution not just to broadcasting, but indeed to peace on this island”.
“I know everybody is in a state of shock to hear that news. I would have met Tommie only in recent weeks in Sligo Rovers, his beloved football club, and, indeed, very recently at the European Movement event that and Minister (Paschal) Donohoe was at.”
In a statement afterwards, Mr Harris said: “I am profoundly shocked and saddened at the death of Tommie Gorman.
“Tommie was a journalist of enormous standing who carried out his job and duty to report fairly and accurately with the utmost professionalism.
“In a world of instant and rolling news, Tommie Gorman was invited into people’s homes night after night to give fair, impartial and in-depth analysis of one of the most precious things on our island – our peace process. To say he took this responsibility seriously is an understatement and as a result the Irish people trusted Tommie. If Tommie Gorman said it, then it happened.
“Tommie loved his work but was also so proud of his family and they were always interwoven in any conversation I had with him about politics or life in general. To Tommie’s wife Ceara and his children Joe and Moya as well as his wider family, I am so sorry for your loss and please know that Tommie always reminded those in political office how important family was.
“To Tommie’s many colleagues in RTÉ, Belfast and The Currency, I am so sorry at the loss of your friend. May he rest in peace.”
Mr Donohoe also offered his condolences in the Dáil chamber in the wake of Mr Gorman’s death.
“I only met him last Monday night and I can’t believe this news. I hope we’ll have an opportunity to say more at a more appropriate point.”
Tommie Gorman battled cancer for 27 years, first diagnosed by chance in January 1994 with a rare form of the disease, neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). He was 37 at the time and working as RTÉ’s Brussels-based Europe correspondent.
His documentary Ireland, Cancer and Me broadcast on RTÉ offered a moving account of the retired reporter’s ongoing battle with the disease.
Two of those who fought long battles with the condition were the founder of Apple, Steve Jobs and the singer, Aretha Franklin.
He recounted of his diagnosis: “I was admitted to a Belgian hospital with a suspected appendix problem. I woke up to learn that I had NETs disease in my small bowel, secondaries in my mesentery area and lots of tumours (metastases) on my liver.”
In the course of his work as RTÉ’s Europe correspondent, he discovered that under EU law he was entitled to treatment available in another EU country, and in 1998 he became the first Irish citizen to avail of treatment in a Swedish centre of excellence.
It helped open the door for hundreds of Irish patients to follow in his footsteps to Sweden and other EU countries to get wide-ranging and vital treatments.
Then, in 2023, a centre for excellence catering for patients with neuroendocrine tumours was set up at St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin, with links to other centres in Cork and Galway.
Writing about his condition in the past, Mr Gorman said: “The word cancer automatically strikes fear in most of us. It is a challenge we would all like to avoid. But my experience of cancer has made me a glass half-full person.
“I’m one of the beneficiaries of important improvements within the Irish service for the treatment of a cancer condition that I’ve had for more than 30 years.
“The developments convince me that the next generation of Irish patients with our condition can face the future with optimism.”
In his later years, Gorman no longer had to travel to Sweden for treatment and relied on six-monthly scans and checks at St Vincent’s and a monthly injection.
During is time at RTÉ, he famously interviewed Roy Keane after the footballer’s row with manager Mick McCarthy in the Republic of Ireland team’s Japan 2002 World Cup training camp on the island of Saipan.
Gorman also tracked down poet Seamus Heaney on a Greek island after he had won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood described his death as “desperately sad news”.
“Tommie Gorman was a good friend to everyone who knew him, a great storyteller and a fiercely independent, fair-minded journalist,” he said.
“I stood at microphones many times after a press conference and felt the familiar flash of panic that every political leader knew when they saw Tommie emerge from the pack to ask the blinder of a question that you were hoping wouldn’t come.
“I saw him cut through waffling and guldering in his quiet, forceful manner, always trying to get past the heat and down to the heart of a story. I also saw Tommie’s endless dedication to telling the stories of ordinary people.
“It didn’t matter who you were or where you came from, he was interested in raising up the voices of people who needed to be heard. And I will always be grateful for his kind storytelling for the people of Derry.
“He wasn’t afraid to tell you exactly what he thought but always, always with a view to helping you do better and be better.
“When he retired in 2021, I said to him that I hoped he’d enjoy swapping cold late nights at Stormont for happier days at the Showgrounds with his loving and devoted family. I’m thinking of Ceara, Moya, Joe and his wide circle of friends at this difficult time. I hope they are comforted by the enormous impact Tommie had on our whole island and the people who share it.”