Gay Byrne RIP

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 09-11-2019 03:23AM

The guy in that video saying he doesn’t want his 27 year old son watching that.

branie2 · 09-11-2019 09:33AM

I think he said wearing that

RabbleRouser2k · 09-11-2019 11:11AM

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

The guy in that video saying he doesn’t want his 27 year old son watching that.

You can see the seeds were planted in his mind tho. I know it sounds odd, but attitudes change, and I think you can see the gears turning about him changing his mind.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 09-11-2019 04:17PM

branie2 wrote: »

I think he said wearing that

Either way, 27. 27!

DEFTLEFTHAND · 09-11-2019 04:38PM

He'd such a gentle manner about him. I was watching the Noel Gallagher interview from 95 last night. Gallagher has spoken about being nervous that night, coming from an Irish family and his mam Peggy being a big fan of Gay.

But Gaybo just put him at ease and got him to open up. He really was an expert interviewer. He could handle all types of personalities.

Strazdas · 09-11-2019 05:31PM

One thing I've picked up about him is that he was such a broadcasting colossus that most other countries probably didn't even have an equivalent of him in the 60s and 70s.

He was so far ahead of his peers that his influence on Irish society was off the scale. If you were to trawl through the history of broadcasting in most European countries, you probably wouldn't be able to find a broadcaster with that level of influence on his country.

ofcork · 09-11-2019 07:00PM

whiskeyman wrote: »

Best chat show host ever in my opinion.
A true professional.

Best memory of that unreal Late Late show postcard winner phone call who won the car... but turned out her daughter was killed by a car walking home the night before.

Gay just talked to her like a friend and got a priest or poet who happened to be on the panel (not sure) to say a few words.

It was poignant and heartbreaking.

I shudder to think how the current crop of 'entertainers' would handle it.

He asked her why did she die and the caller asked him was he being funny what a time to mix up your words.

Tell me how · 09-11-2019 07:12PM

Strazdas wrote: »

One thing I've picked up about him is that he was such a broadcasting colossus that most other countries probably didn't even have an equivalent of him in the 60s and 70s.

He was so far ahead of his peers that his influence on Irish society was off the scale. If you were to trawl through the history of broadcasting in most European countries, you probably wouldn't be able to find a broadcaster with that level of influence on his country.

Could that be more to do with the fact that the infrastructure in Ireland was limited such that only 2 TV stations and maybe 3 radio stations covered the entire country for a good portion of his time?

That meant that the ubiquitous voice was Gays, I was thinking about this once again for those who spent literally decades listening to him 5 mornings a week and then for a few hours every Friday night.

I don't think that it is too dramatic to say that a large portion of the adults in the country probably felt a greater connection with him than they did with all but a few others in their lives because of this omnipresence.

FrancieBrady · 09-11-2019 07:17PM

Tell me how wrote: »

Could that be more to do with the fact that the infrastructure in Ireland was limited such that only 2 TV stations and maybe 3 radio stations covered the entire country for a good portion of his time?

Yes, but luckily or unluckily (depending on where you are coming from) the stars aligned in this case and a unique era found a unique talent.
Who knows, maybe it was the only era where he was going to find a home, but the stars certainly aligned.

Airyfairy12 · 09-11-2019 07:32PM

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Yes, but luckily or unluckily (depending on where you are coming from) the stars aligned in this case and a unique era found a unique talent.
Who knows, maybe it was the only era where he was going to find a home, but the stars certainly aligned.

There where other presenters and talk show hosts and none live up to him, era doesnt come into it. If Gay was starting out now I bet he'd have the same amount of fame and attention. He was a total entertainer, always thought outside the box and a very intelligent, charismatic and funny man. He was born to do it.

Tell me how · 09-11-2019 07:49PM

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

There where other presenters and talk show hosts and none live up to him, era doesnt come into it. If Gay was starting out now I bet he'd have the same amount of fame and attention. He was a total entertainer, always thought outside the box and a very intelligent, charismatic and funny man. He was born to do it.

Not so sure. People are way more judgemental now, and, given social media (including Boards) have the opportunity to voice their judgement.

Second most thanked post on this thread.

He was full of himself and full of sh*t in my opinion,
made a career out of talking down to people

There's hardly a single thread on a show or station here where there isn't a dominance of posters saying how bad everything is.

Edgware · 09-11-2019 07:53PM

Tell me how wrote: »

Could that be more to do with the fact that the infrastructure in Ireland was limited such that only 2 TV stations and maybe 3 radio stations covered the entire country for a good portion of his time?

That meant that the ubiquitous voice was Gays, I was thinking about this once again for those who spent literally decades listening to him 5 mornings a week and then for a few hours every Friday night.

I don't think that it is too dramatic to say that a large portion of the adults in the country probably felt a greater connection with him than they did with all but a few others in their lives because of this omnipresence.

The majority of his listeners were born in an age of none or little t.v. Not that they were simple but would have been of the opinion that someone on d'telly was someone to look up to. I remember being at a function in the ill fated Stardust where R.T.E. was filming the show.
When there was a delay some arrogant **** of a producer said " Stop whinging ye are only here so you will be seen on the telly". I saw a punter plant him subsequently one evening after the Derby in Curragh bar when he tried jumping the queue

FrancieBrady · 09-11-2019 07:58PM

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

There where other presenters and talk show hosts and none live up to him, era doesnt come into it. If Gay was starting out now I bet he'd have the same amount of fame and attention. He was a total entertainer, always thought outside the box and a very intelligent, charismatic and funny man. He was born to do it.

The era of 'one channel' land very much comes into it. Today it wouldn't matter how much talent he had, he simply would not have had the exclusive platform to display it on.
That's what I mean by the stars aligning.

Naggdefy · 09-11-2019 08:08PM

Gay was very talented, no doubting.

But as other posters said he was their introduction to TV.

A bit like the affection Michael O'Hehir was held in. Most of his commentary is abysmal if analysed now 'oh a nice screw kick from Matt Connor'. A what??! He hadn't a notion of the rules of hurling and football. Foinaven winning the grand national was his finest moment.

Now Gay was light years ahead of O'Hehir in his field but judged with a touch of nostalgia.

Airyfairy12 · 09-11-2019 08:12PM

FrancieBrady wrote: »

The era of 'one channel' land very much comes into it. Today it wouldn't matter how much talent he had, he simply would not have had the exclusive platform to display it on.
That's what I mean by the stars aligning.

He would have put himself out there the way all young talent do nowadays, though podcasts, self promotion, youtube and online following.

09-11-2019 08:15PM

Tell me how wrote: »

Not so sure. People are way more judgemental now, and, given social media (including Boards) have the opportunity to voice their judgement.

Second most thanked post on this thread.

There's hardly a single thread on a show or station here where there isn't a dominance of posters saying how bad everything is.

Somehow I think Gay would absolutely thrive on/in spite of social media now. He was all about stirring opinion and as long as he would be trending he would be relevant. My Dad used to spend his life giving out about him and yet he watched him. I’d say Gay would would probably have the most followers of any individual
In the country, including those who hated him. He was only in his 20s when he started presenting the LLS, in tune with a rather new youth culture. Less than a decade before, young people did not really have their own culture in any forum; as my late Mum born in 1920 used to tell me you were a “child” until you married, and only then were you regarded as an adult. There was no teen culture; as a middle class Dublin girl she played hockey and tennis, you went to the cinema with family, and her mother bought her clothes for her.

FrancieBrady · 09-11-2019 08:15PM

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

He would have put himself out there the way all young talent do nowadays, though podcasts, self promotion, youtube and online following.

But nobody gets what he had today. The eyes and ear of the whole country practically.
Not diminishing his talent at all, he had it in spades and we were lucky. Just saying, cometh the hour cometh the man.

Airyfairy12 · 09-11-2019 08:16PM

Tell me how wrote: »

Not so sure. People are way more judgemental now, and, given social media (including Boards) have the opportunity to voice their judgement.

Second most thanked post on this thread.

There's hardly a single thread on a show or station here where there isn't a dominance of posters saying how bad everything is.

He was hugely respected into the 90's, long after Ireland had one channel only. If he wasnt that great he would have fizzled out as soon as something better came along. When he retired RTE started loosing money, he was a cash cow for them.

Young people now talk about Gay bryne and what a legend he was, he was timeless. Same cant be said for many notable Irish people on television or radio in the 50's.

Joe_ Public · 09-11-2019 08:28PM

Naggdefy wrote: »

Gay was very talented, no doubting.

But as other posters said he was their introduction to TV.

A bit like the affection Michael O'Hehir was held in. Most of his commentary is abysmal if analysed now 'oh a nice screw kick from Matt Connor'. A what??! He hadn't a notion of the rules of hurling and football. Foinaven winning the grand national was his finest moment.

Now Gay was light years ahead of O'Hehir in his field but judged with a touch of nostalgia.

Well i wont agree with you on michael o'hehir anyway. "Hadnt a notion of the rules of hurling and football." Really? He followed the games all his life, he knew the rules for a minimum anyway.

I grew up as a kid with o'hehir as a soundtrack so there's a certain amount of nostalgia, but to say abysmal is just way off. Ger Canning, Marty Morrissey, any of the rest of them, none comparable to MOH imo. O Muircheartaigh though is a genuine legend.

Naggdefy · 09-11-2019 09:08PM

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Well i wont agree with you on michael o'hehir anyway. "Hadnt a notion of the rules of hurling and football." Really? He followed the games all his life, he knew the rules for a minimum anyway.

I grew up as a kid with o'hehir as a soundtrack so there's a certain amount of nostalgia, but to say abysmal is just way off. Ger Canning, Marty Morrissey, any of the rest of them, none comparable to MOH imo. O Muircheartaigh though is a genuine legend.

Ah God Joe listen to TG4. Every time there was a foul he hadn't a clue what it was for and corrected himself frequently. An awful lot of waffle. No better than Canning and worse than Morrissey. I've watched almost all semis and finals in both codes 1962 on be it DVDs loaned from my local library or TG4 and I stand by what I said.

Strazdas · 09-11-2019 09:12PM

Tell me how wrote: »

Could that be more to do with the fact that the infrastructure in Ireland was limited such that only 2 TV stations and maybe 3 radio stations covered the entire country for a good portion of his time?

That meant that the ubiquitous voice was Gays, I was thinking about this once again for those who spent literally decades listening to him 5 mornings a week and then for a few hours every Friday night.

I don't think that it is too dramatic to say that a large portion of the adults in the country probably felt a greater connection with him than they did with all but a few others in their lives because of this omnipresence.

No, I think he would have been great in any era.

There's an assumption that because he was a big fish in a small pool, that this flatters him somewhat but I think he was genuinely head any shoulders above any other broadcaster born in Ireland. There were very talented guys like Eamonn Andrews and Mike Murphy but Gay was a step up from them.

AlekSmart · 09-11-2019 09:29PM

brooke 2 wrote: »

I loved listening to Gay on Lyric FM, as I drove back from the West on a Sunday afternoon. I remember so clearly his last programme - the almost nonchalant manner in which he announced that he would not be back for a while, as he proceeded to inform the listeners why he was leaving. I did not think too much of it at first, until he continued to say that he had had a good life, had never been ill and that it was now his turn. Then, it hit me like a ton of bricks that this was a lot more serious than he was trying to make it sound. The poor presenter who came on after his programme - Aedín Gormley, IIRC - was in total shock as she also realised what she had just heard.

Rest In Peace, Gay.

I was never a Gay Byrne fan,either on the LLS or the Radio 1 show.

There is no doubt but Gay had a very finely tuned appreciation of the power of Media,long before we stopped referring to the Papers,the Radio or the Telly and embraced Social Media as the yardstick.

That said,I believe Gay's finest radio shows were on Lyric FM,where he was free to indulge his passion for swing,blues and big-band music to an extent rarely heard on Irish Radio.

He knew his stuff and that knowledge,allied to the tunes themselves, flowed out of the radio on each of those programmes.

I really do hope that those Lyric Tapes are kept safe for a future generation.

There is little available to match it on mainstream Radio now....it's like a big dark gap has appeared on the dial

Tell me how · 09-11-2019 09:43PM

AlekSmart wrote: »

That said,I believe Gay's finest radio shows were on Lyric FM,where he was free to indulge his passion for swing,blues and big-band music to an extent rarely heard on Irish Radio.

I can't agree with you that that was where Gay was at his peak in terms of performance but it does reflect my view on the value of some of the non mainstream stations.
A relevant consideration in terms of current news relating to Lyric in particular.

Also, on a similar vein, many only know George Hamilton from his work commentating on sporting events, he also does a regular show on Lyric and was principal cellist with his school orchestra in Belfast for a period.

His love of culture and arts which does come through in how he commentates on sport is even more evident on Lyric.

Joe_ Public · 09-11-2019 09:47PM

Naggdefy wrote: »

Ah God Joe listen to TG4. Every time there was a foul he hadn't a clue what it was for and corrected himself frequently. An awful lot of waffle. No better than Canning and worse than Morrissey. I've watched almost all semis and finals in both codes 1962 on be it DVDs loaned from my local library or TG4 and I stand by what I said.

Fair enough. Its all opinions. Two commentators stand out for me from my youth, o'hehir and Noel Andrews who bestowed a love for amatuer boxing that remains with me to this day. But this is a Gay Byrne thread and he was incomparable at what he did and for once i will happily trot out the platitude that ni bheidh a leitheid aris ann.

80j2lc5y7u6qs9 · 09-11-2019 09:47PM

I was never much of a fan, found him patronising 'you wouldn't know how to use a condom/have this for the audience if not for me' He had a great laugh too when a kerry footballer who was a guard told of sleeping in the car in a field when on duty after a big game

Annie Murphy was a disgraceful 'interview' he told her what eamon would say how do you know she asked?

i just know

nacho libre · 09-11-2019 09:55PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Gx2fg9WgIc

elperello · 09-11-2019 09:55PM

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Fair enough. Its all opinions. Two commentators stand out for me from my youth, o'hehir and Noel Andrews who bestowed a love for amatuer boxing that remains with me to this day. But this is a Gay Byrne thread and he was incomparable at what he did and for once i will happily trot out the platitude that ni bheidh a leitheid aris ann.

There was no need to start criticising a man who retired more than 30 years ago in a tribute to the legend that was GB.

MOH would be 100 next year. He was of his time and did a great job with very limited resources compared to even 20 years ago.

Apart altogether from his outstanding sports career his commentary on the JFK funeral was a tour de force.

80j2lc5y7u6qs9 · 09-11-2019 09:57PM

I agree with whoever said GB would not be that big today.

He was given the chance when young to be a small fish in a big pool but stayed here for the latter

I thought he had moved from Howth to a city apartment?

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 09-11-2019 10:25PM

Bowen Lemon Milk wrote: »

I agree with whoever said GB would not be that big today.

He was given the chance when young to be a small fish in a big pool but stayed here for the latter

I thought he had moved from Howth to a city apartment?

His death notice says Sandymount so I think he must have moved to an apartment there.

elperello · 09-11-2019 10:28PM

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

His death notice says Sandymount so I think he must have moved to an apartment there.

Correct.
He went home to his spiritual home in Howth to die.

Gay Byrne RIP

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