“I was really moved when the news came through that Tony Fenton had passed away,” Hot Press editor Niall Stokes said. "He fought a brave fight against cancer and remained really positive throughout when a lesser man might have crumbled. But in the end, sadly, the illness proved impossible to beat.
"Tony was an immensely likeable character. His on-air persona was big and brash and full of broadcasting beans. He loved his work, and that showed in the enthusiasm which was always so palpable when he was on air. He was also a great champion of records and artists that he loved – including lots of Irish music. For him it was always about getting his audience excited about what he was playing, and as a result he really had the ability to break records and to give an artist’s career a major boost.
“Off air, when you spoke to Tony, his irrepressible, positive spirit was still very much in evidence, but he was a genuine character, who it was always a pleasure to call or to talk to. In addition to radio, and to music, he loved food and so you’d often see him out on the town, in Dublin, enjoying the best in fine dining that the city has to offer. He was great company, always curious about what was happening in your world and full of praise and compliments if you made a bit of a splash or did something good.
“There was a vulnerability about Tony too, that fans might not have been aware of. He went through a very tough time financially and made the incredibly difficult decision to seek bankruptcy, which he was granted back in 2011. I know that he felt that a huge weight had been lifted when that went through – but it was an experience which couldn’t but have scarred him. The stress levels involved were immense. There was another side to him that the on-air ebullience often masked. In a sense, there was a boyish innocence about Tony when he started out that he never really lost.
“He will be missed hugely by his friends in the media and in the music business. And, of course, he will be missed by his legion of fans, built up from his days first with the pirates, and then with 2fm, right through to his work in recent years with Today FM. Hot Press extends its condolences to Tony’s family and close friends and to everyone who worked with him along the way – and to the team at Today FM, who meant so much to him."