The renowned
Irish TV and radio presenter Gay Byrne has died, aged 85, after suffering a long illness.
The broadcaster is a household name in
Ireland thanks to his three-decade stint hosting the Late
Late Show on RTÉ.In a statement, his family said: “It is with sadness that Kathleen, Crona and Suzy wish to announce that their beloved Gay has died peacefully at home today, surrounded by his family.
“We wish to thank everybody for their love and support during Gay’s illness. Particularly the wonderful teams in the Mater Hospital, St Francis Hospice and the Irish Cancer Society.”
Following the news of Gay’s death, RTÉ director general, Dee Forbes, paid tribute, describing him as “an exceptional broadcaster” with a “unique and ground-breaking style”.
“He not only defined generations, but he deftly arbitrated the growth and development of a nation.
“Ireland grew up under Gay Byrne, and we will never see his like again,” she said.
Irish president Michael D Higgins also paid tribute.
“He was a man of great charisma, one of the most recognisable faces of Irish broadcasting,” he said.
“Through his work in radio and on television he challenged Irish society, and shone a light not only on the bright but also the dark sides of Irish life.”
As well as the Late Late Show, Gay also presented a long-running radio show which was first known as the Gay Byrne Hour and then the Gay Byrne Show.
He presented his final daily radio show in 1998 and his final
Late Late Show the following summer.
Among his most memorable moments at the helm of The Late Late Show came in 1993, when a pre-fame Boyzone made an appearance on the show, billing themselves as “Ireland’s answer to Take That”:He is survived by his wife, Kathleen, and his daughters Crona and Suzy.