Whatever Colin Irwin's merits as a journalist - and I've read and enjoyed several of his pieces - it's probably wrong to blame him for killling off Swarb.

As Liz pointed out earlier, obits are often written while the subject is still alive. Although Irwin's name will have appeared on the piece, for the very good reason that he researched and wrote it, the chances are he had nothing to do with it appearing the paper. It was certainly someone's mistake. But I'm guessing that when the wrong info came through, they just reached for the already-written piece without consulting him.

I am bit perplexed, though, by his stance on White Hare-gate.