Seán Hutton obituary

My colleague and friend Seán Hutton, who has died aged 83, made a big contribution to the life of the Irish community in Britain, first as executive director of the British Association for Irish Studies and then with the Federation of Irish Societies, latterly as its policy officer.

At both organisations Seán gave great support to Irish cultural activities in the UK, while also helping to develop pioneering initiatives that were of benefit to the Irish diaspora. Among other things, his work provided information to the Irish government on diaspora health inequalities, resulting in its development of an emigrant support programme to help improve the health of Irish people living in the UK and beyond. He was also instrumental in the lobbying that led to the Irish origins of people living in the UK being recorded in UK censuses from 2001 onwards.

In addition, Seán made his own contribution to the Irish arts in the UK as a poet with several published collections to his name, including Seachrán Ruairí agus Dánta Eile (Ruairi’s Detour and Other Poems, 1986), which was awarded the Sean O’Riordan prize for literature.

Seán was born in Dublin, to Stephen, a civil servant, and his wife, Sarah (nee O’Donoghue). Educated at St Mary’s college in the Rathmines area of Dublin, in 1962 he gained a degree in history from University College Dublin, after which he went on a history research scholarship to Hull University.

From 1969 onwards he worked for almost two decades as a history teacher at Bridlington grammar school in East Yorkshire, during which time he had several of his poetry collections published.

It was in 1988 that he was appointed executive director of the British Association for Irish Studies, a post he held until 1993, when he joined the Federation of Irish Societies (now known as Irish in Britain), where he and I worked together for many years. He remained there until his retirement in 2018.

Seán’s involvement with Irish causes in the UK was not, however, confined to those two organisations. From 1992 onwards he was secretary of the council of the Irish Texts Society, which is dedicated to promoting the study of Irish literature, and from 1997 he was a member of the Irish Transfrontier Committee, a group helping Irish people in Britain – and British people in Ireland – to find work.

He was also on the advisory group of the Irish Youth Foundation, a charity that helps disadvantaged young Irish people in the UK, was a committee member of the London Irish LGBT Network from its formation in 2013 until 2021, and a valued member of the Irish Literary Society, serving as its chair.

Seán had that rare but welcome combination of humility and fierce intellect, underpinned by an open generosity to share his time and his learning. His warmth and humour made him the best of company.

Seán’s sister, Eilish, died in 2022. He is survived by four nieces, Bess, Antoinette, Lorraine and Suzanne, and a nephew, Seán.