The Late Late Show Tribute to Gay Byrne, Tuesday, RTÉ One, 9:35pm

Peig Sayers · 06-11-2019 03:01PM

castletownman wrote: »

Went to bed before the end, but having looked back at a clip of the "finale", I am surely not the only one who thought the Parting Glass was a bit haphazard?

Finbarr Furey in particular was a bit incoherent, which is a surprise as usually he has a terrific voice. It is still a beautiful song, but I feel there was too many musicians involved in the performance.

Loathe for me to criticise same on social media though, in case I get lynched

Just watched that clip on the RTE Player. Dreadful. The words aren't difficult to learn. Would it be too much to ask them to do that? Total shambles. Mary Coughlan sounded like a drunken traveller at a wedding. Should have let Mary Black sing it.

freshpopcorn · 06-11-2019 03:03PM

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

Miriam O’C looked like a gormless idiot throughout.

Even the best of us would look a little off we got landed next to Nell!

06-11-2019 03:05PM

I had been feeling quite sad about the death of Gay. Its something to do with all the memories associated with him. A bit like when your beloved dog or cat dies and all the memories of the years they were in your life. Most of us who remember growing up with The Late Late Show look at ourselves and our own mortality and face the fact none of us are getting any younger.
When you see Pat and Mike who still look amazing but both in their seventies, Miriam, Mary Black, Marty, Ray Darcy, even Andrea Corr …. all getting older and yet these were people we grew up around and watching, it brings it home. There was a sort of comfort in watching it. I wish shows was more like that now. Instead they're full of vacuous celebrities, puffed up lips, fake boobs and people with nothing interesting to say. The art of storytelling and listening is dying (looking at you Ryan Tubridy)…..but Gay had that in spades.

Overall I found the show really uplifting, more laughs than sadness, lovely memories, old friends reminiscing.

We have lost some good people who shared the Late Late stage with Gay...... Brendan Grace, Fergal Quinn, Gerry Ryan, Dermot Morgan ..………..but Gay Byrne himself tops them all.

Ash.J.Williams · 06-11-2019 03:11PM

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

What in the name of jaysus was Tiernan on about, saying that old men become more feminised when they get ill and generally emphasising how OLD and SICK he was? Just thought that whole rambling was weird and really insensitive to Gay’s family.

i know exactly what he was saying but he was trying to make it deep an meaningful but ended up getting cut off for rambling.

(i find when old people are dying their complexion changes and i think that's all he was saying)

Peig Sayers · 06-11-2019 03:11PM

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

I say ‘excira’ and ‘delira’ all the time too!

I say "ya wha Gay"? and "roll it there Colette"!

Mrcaramelchoc · 06-11-2019 03:21PM

another thing i didnt like was that smart arsed snide comment frank mcnamara said to ryan,about having a million viewers of the late late back in the day not like now.

what a prick.ryan should have said yea well at least im not in debit up to my oxters you insufferable langer.

tylercheribini · 06-11-2019 03:32PM

I wonder did everyone have a go on Twink back in the day.

downwesht · 06-11-2019 03:45PM

Best Late Late show since Gay retired,says a lot really!
Mike Murphy looked the better for leaving RTE and was his usual fun self.
Shame Nell didn't get her rant in.The McNamaras got to feature though ....Theresa butted in nicely!
The music segments were dire and as for the rendition of The Parting Glass.....diabolical.Where was Christy Moore or Sinead O Connor....Jesus even Shane McGowan would have done a better job!!!

FrancieBrady · 06-11-2019 03:55PM

downwesht wrote: »

Best Late Late show since Gay retired,says a lot really!
Mike Murphy looked the better for leaving RTE and was his usual fun self.

Does RTE give you a 'look'?

He's nearly 20 years out of RTE and has had a mini career in property development since.

splinter65 · 06-11-2019 03:58PM

Mrcaramelchoc wrote: »

another thing i didnt like was that smart arsed snide comment frank mcnamara said to ryan,about having a million viewers of the late late back in the day not like now.

what a prick.ryan should have said yea well at least im not in debit up to my oxters you insufferable langer.

It’s just stating facts. I don’t think Tubridy is very popular amongst the entertainment circle in Ireland. I have a feeling he sees himself as a bit superior.

sligojoek · 06-11-2019 04:01PM

downwesht wrote: »

Best Late Late show since Gay retired,says a lot really!
Mike Murphy looked the better for leaving RTE and was his usual fun self.
Shame Nell didn't get her rant in.The McNamaras got to feature though ....Theresa butted in nicely!
The music segments were dire and as for the rendition of The Parting Glass.....diabolical.Where was Christy Moore or Sinead O Connor....Jesus even Shane McGowan would have done a better job!!!

paleoperson · 06-11-2019 04:03PM

mistersifter wrote: »

At one point Tubridy said "just have a sip of your water there and we'll hear from you anon" in an attempt to get rid.

You could hear Nell shouting angrily off mic, "NOW is anon" :eek:

He didn't handle it badly in the end despite some suggestions otherwise. But he shouldnt have approached her at all. I think he thought he was being spontaneous and amusing (?) by bringing her up the water - until his plan went tits up.

It was typical Late Late looney stuff. Not quite up there with the time Pat Kenny got stage invaded by the aul fella who called him and Gay "insufferable arseholes" , but still awkward and amusing in equal measures.

oh, I missed that, I hope someone puts it up on youtube. If not I'll try to catch a repeat and do it myself.

I don't think anything will ever top the frontline guy though, almost the 10 year anniversary of it:

serfboard · 06-11-2019 04:04PM

splinter65 wrote: »

I don’t think Tubridy is very popular amongst the entertainment circle in Ireland. I have a feeling he sees himself as a bit superior.

In direct contrast to Gay, Tubridy is not as interested in people. He's more interested in books.

He'd be better used presenting a book show on radio.

pflanagan132 · 06-11-2019 04:05PM

Yeah, I wondered about Christy Moore, Shane McGowan and Sinead O'Connor. The last two are probably in homes for the bewildered. Christy Dignam was also missed. Gay was different class. When you think of him, Wogan and Eamon Andrews, it shows how standards have plummeted.

golondrinas · 06-11-2019 04:18PM

Expunge wrote: »

Larry is a contractor. Balfe became staff relatively late in his career, apparently. That's the difference.[

yeah but he could have sued like that other auld bint that used to read out what it said in the papers or something like that. they let her go at 65/66 and she sued RTE for ageism. Got 50,000 and has been a panelist on Maura and Daithi several times since. Easy know its tax payers money they continue to spray around.

FrancieBrady · 06-11-2019 04:22PM

pflanagan132 wrote: »

Yeah, I wondered about Christy Moore, Shane McGowan and Sinead O'Connor. The last two are probably in homes for the bewildered. Christy Dignam was also missed. Gay was different class. When you think of him, Wogan and Eamon Andrews, it shows how standards have plummeted.

Thought Sinead would have been there but according to her Twitter she is in rehab at the moment.

Expunge · 06-11-2019 04:29PM

golondrinas wrote: »

Expunge wrote: »

Larry is a contractor. Balfe became staff relatively late in his career, apparently. That's the difference.[

yeah but he could have sued like that other auld bint that used to read out what it said in the papers or something like that. they let her go at 65/66 and she sued RTE for ageism. Got 50,000 and has been a panelist on Maura and Daithi several times since. Easy know its tax payers money they continue to spray around.

True. I'm no expert but they seem to be very strict about it when it comes to run of the mill staff members at the moment. A lot of the on air people have been upset about it e.g. Michael Murphy, Balfe and David Davin Power.

There's some talk that Davin Power is taking a case to the courts about it.
The problem seems to be the many various types of employment that they have allowed over the years. It's a fricken mess in there.

Even Revenue have told them to get their act together in recent times. Public money needed to fix these issues each time.

Tombo2001 · 06-11-2019 04:30PM

Didn't see the show.

But I've been thinking a lot about this guy, as have a lot of people.

I actually think despite it all that he is underappreciated in Ireland.

In the history of the state since its foundation I don't think there is any other individual that has captured public attention in the same way that this man did, that has been such an influence on the country. Maybe De Valera, but in a different way.

A second point that I've been thinking about - RTE today looks empty, just a combination of lightweight shows that not many people pay attention to.

Back in the day - the 1960s through to say the 1990s.....it was absolutely central to irish life.

But if you take Gay Byrne out of the equation, what was there.

Glenroe in the 1980s captured public attention in a big way, Gerry Ryan on the radio for 10 or 15 years, The Sunday Game and Sports Stadium, but there will always be audience for the national football teams (soccer and rugby). Take Gay Byrne out of RTE..... and there hasn't been a whole lot else to it.

jon43 · 06-11-2019 04:30PM

always rember him as a child on the xmass show

splinter65 · 06-11-2019 05:18PM

serfboard wrote: »

In direct contrast to Gay, Tubridy is not as interested in people. He's more interested in books.

He'd be better used presenting a book show on radio.

He’d be an awful lot better off selling books in Easons as far as I’m concerned.

tylercheribini · 06-11-2019 05:35PM

I enjoyed the McNamara put down about the million viewers but in fairness comparing gaybos dominance in the pre satellite/internet era would be like a candle maker gloating about his sales before electricification.

Mezzotint · 06-11-2019 05:38PM

To me the Late Late is the Gay Byrne show. It should have ended in 1999 when he left. It worked because it had a uniquely people focused presenter who was the ultimate facilitator of chat and debate.

It's also a very old format - mid 20th century, live, variety and chat programme. I'm not really sure there's the scope for those anymore and that isn't necessarily a good thing as they were nexuses for social debate and teasing things out as a nation. We are all in our little online bubbles these days. Appointment type TV shows that everyone watches together are, sadly, a creature of a bygone era.

As for Gaybo, an absolutely legend and I think will always be remembered as such.

RIP and my boards based condolences to Kathleen and his family, friends and also to all those who worked with him over the years. He seems to have been very much loved by everyone who interacted with him.

It really marks the end of an era, but I think he leaves a great legacy in terms of how he opened Irish society to debate and finding its way back to being craic again after a period of dismal conservativism.

Sad to see him go and the era and but it's a life will lived and I think he departed with style and will never be forgotten.

06-11-2019 05:40PM

tylercheribini wrote: »

I wonder did everyone have a go on Twink back in the day.

Is that where she got the term 'zip up yer micky' from?

06-11-2019 05:47PM

paleoperson wrote: »

oh, I missed that, I hope someone puts it up on youtube. If not I'll try to catch a repeat and do it myself.

I don't think anything will ever top the frontline guy though, almost the 10 year anniversary of it:

'Water off a ducks back' reaction from Pat, there!

tylercheribini · 06-11-2019 05:50PM

zorro2566 wrote: »

Is that where she got the term 'zip up yer micky' from?

Id say the RTE culture back then wasnt a million miles away from a den of inquity like that other "respectable state broadcaster", the BBC. Terry Prone hinted at some unwanted advances before.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 06-11-2019 06:06PM

Say Your Number wrote: »

I did like the sadistic pleasure he got out of using a supersoaker on the Toy Show audience.

Thank you for reminding me of that, a great memory.

Nerdlingr · 06-11-2019 06:11PM

Peig Sayers wrote: »

Taped it and just watched it now but it ended when Brian Keenan was speaking. Did Nell ever get to talk? Looked twisted with a touch of dementia thrown in :eek:

She never got to talk (probably better off).
I was a bit disingenuous to her, the poor woman obviously isnt well.

freshpopcorn · 06-11-2019 06:23PM

Regarding Sinead O'Connor not being there. I don't think it would be good to have her and Mary Coughlan together.

JDD · 06-11-2019 06:36PM

Graham Norton does a good job of the chat show, but it's entertainment guests only, not a forum for debate.

The reason why RTE looks lightweight is probably because all terrestrial tv is becoming less and less event television. Programs that capture the public imagination will more and more be Netflix/prime/apple tv programs which are unlikely to be live.

Mezzotint · 06-11-2019 07:02PM

JDD wrote: »

Graham Norton does a good job of the chat show, but it's entertainment guests only, not a forum for debate.

The reason why RTE looks lightweight is probably because all terrestrial tv is becoming less and less event television. Programs that capture the public imagination will more and more be Netflix/prime/apple tv programs which are unlikely to be live.

I think Ireland is still somewhat cushioned by the fact that we’re such a small market that we still tend to tune towards Irish produced programming. RTE would be better off focusing on producing seriously strong content, even if it means producing less of it with more resources focused on a few key shows. The days of TV channels with linear broadcast schedules are drawing rapidly to a close. If you’re watching Sky Q, half the time you’d lose track as to what’s live, cached and recorded or streamed on demand. If you look at where Eir has just gone with Apple TV, everything is basically server based and can be watched back (excluding the BBC due to rights issues and foot dragging) and that’s wheee Virgin Media will be at soon too. Meanwhile Netflix and probably increasingly, Amazon, Apple etc are growing and becoming far more relevant than terrestrial, sat or cable tv.

I think though we also need to pause, take a breath and look at what the Late Late Show was and how it contributed to debate because what’s destroying society and politics in the US and UK has been the inability to have those kinds of national debates and discussions and having everyone hiding in their own bubble, only talking to their online tribe.

If any anything, the huge reaction just shows that we were all sitting in the same living room or at the same kitchen tables back in the 20th century and we were participating in many of the same discussions.

Maybe the best legacy would be that we actually recognise the importance of it and, whatever the technology, attempt to keep that going. Fundamentally, it’s that ability to be a community that defines who we are and how this place works as a cohesive country.

The Late Late Show Tribute to Gay Byrne, Tuesday, RTÉ One, 9:35pm

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