TV star mourns death of this 'great pal'

The father of Chiswick based TV star, Declan Donnelly, has died in hospital from cancer.

78 year old Alphonsus (Foncey) Donnelly, passed away last Friday in Newcastle leading to a flood of tributes. He had seven children and eleven grandchildren to whom he was described as a devoted grandfather.

He moved to Newcastle in the fifties from Ireland and was a well known figure within the Irish community often working as a steward and running the bar at the Tynside Irish Centre with his wife Anne.

Declan is the youngest of his children and is reported to be devastated at the loss of his 'great pal'. He was with his father at the end and had been making regular trips to the north east to visit him during his illness.

A spokesperson for Dec said: 'Dec is understandably devastated. We ask for complete privacy at this difficult time.'

August 25, 2011