Gay Byrne RIP

bobwilliams

pgj2015 wrote: »

i heard some woman say on the radio this evening that it was very sad that her kids and grand kids will never get to see gay on tv, get a life missus he was just a tv presenter not some genius on the same level as da vinci.

Agree, never liked him myself.

grenache

zcorpian88 wrote: »

Was watching the tribute show at home, the last minutes of the program, during the flickering moments of Gay's career with the sombre music, my mother started crying, I felt pretty sad myself, it is the end of an era for this country. I enjoyed the show, I thought they should have left it go another hour and get everyone's stories on Gay, make a night of it, be it a once off. Had nothing to lose.

What the f**k was with Nell Mcafferty though? Bloody aul bag, never liked her.

Agreed they should have let it go on for another half hour at least.

As for Nell, she was the original Derry Girl!

Tell me how

pgj2015 wrote: »

i heard some woman say on the radio this evening that it was very sad that her kids and grand kids will never get to see gay on tv, get a life missus he was just a tv presenter not some genius on the same level as da vinci.

For a lot of people, he was the soundtrack to their generation, anyone who may have been in their 20's in the 60's and raised a family effectively had them as their companion until their grandkids were on the scene. At a time when there was often limited radio and television stations and zero podcasts, digital offering Gay's shows was their window to the a national conversation. Topics which were relevant to them were discussed on a daily basis and for many, they learnt and felt that they weren't the only ones struggling with a particular issue.

My mother was only telling me a story recently how she heard them discussing the cost of childcare in the 80's and how much many people were struggling and it really helped her because she thought she was doing something wrong to be finding it so hard to make ends meet while having a job. And bear in mind how much Ireland changed from when he started to when he finished, the hold of the church, the stigma associated with sex, the birth of the Celtic tiger all happened and was commented on by Gay and his guests.

Many of the people genuinely grieving today aren't doing so solely because of Gay, they are doing so because of the definitive realisation that a large chunk of their life is gone forever.
In a world of fleeting attention spans and dependence on ratings and viewing figures, the longevity of broadcasters such as Gay could well be behind us for good. H/is passing does signal the end of a particular era.

RabbleRouser2k

zcorpian88 wrote: »

Was watching the tribute show at home, the last minutes of the program, during the flickering moments of Gay's career with the sombre music, my mother started crying, I felt pretty sad myself, it is the end of an era for this country. I enjoyed the show, I thought they should have left it go another hour and get everyone's stories on Gay, make a night of it, be it a once off. Had nothing to lose.

What the f**k was with Nell Mcafferty though? Bloody aul bag, never liked her.

I think it's because many people have their own memories tied in with Gay Byrne. Like, I don't wanna be dramatic, there were moments tonight when I was genuinely on the brink of crying.
You sort of remember moments with family watching the Late Late Show, and then reminisce about the moments. And remember where you were, or what your family had to say about an episode.
And then you remember the family members you've lost (I'm not gonna watch that clip of the woman who lost her daughter-it resonates. IT genuinely hits too hard. I think even as a child, you felt that.).

Tommy Tiernan's words resonated profoundly. They were measured. The words of someone who'd who'd thought them thru carefully. Not just saying a load of nonsense for the sake of saying something.

The Parting Glass... I've got nothing to say, other than it was fitting. Mournful, but grateful for having Gay Byrne in the pantheon of Irish life.

FrancieBrady

pgj2015 wrote: »

i heard some woman say on the radio this evening that it was very sad that her kids and grand kids will never get to see gay on tv, get a life missus he was just a tv presenter not some genius on the same level as da vinci.

For me, it is my kids not being able to understand what Tommy Tiernan was getting at (and I think he was spot on) 'The nation listening/viewing as a tribe'.

In that sense it is a massive end to an era, when literally everyone who was engaged with the country listened to and watched the same thing. The result being that the whole country was talking about the one thing.
That was the phenomenal influence the show had and the sphere it operated in.

We will never see those times again nor see a broadcaster that more or less dominated that tribe, like him or loathe him.
And as a professional, he was tailor made for it tbh.

razorblunt

zcorpian88 wrote: »

Was watching the tribute show at home, the last minutes of the program, during the flickering moments of Gay's career with the sombre music, my mother started crying, I felt pretty sad myself, it is the end of an era for this country. I enjoyed the show, I thought they should have left it go another hour and get everyone's stories on Gay, make a night of it, be it a once off. Had nothing to lose.

What the f**k was with Nell Mcafferty though? Bloody aul bag, never liked her.

It's a tough one, I guess they had to do something quickly for him.
But it felt very rushed, not helped by the psycophantic crowd all watching themselves on the monitors trying to over emphasize responses. Miriam being the worst for it, followed by Joe Duffy. What even was the poem? A Leaving Cert syllabus poem.

I think if they take a few weeks to commission an Xmas special and go down the talking heads format with individuals sharing stories/experiences etc it would work better.
They could better break it up too.

BrianD3

Tell me how wrote: »

Many of the people genuinely grieving today aren't doing so solely because of Gay, they are doing so because of the definitive realisation that a large chunk of their life is gone forever.

I agree with this. Also, I'm in my 40s and have become very conscious of the passing of time and how precarious and precious life is. Having witnessed what cancer, and in particular, metastatic prostate cancer does to people, I suspect that the last couple of years of Gay Byrne's life were very tough and that this was downplayed by him when interviewed.

Also, watching last night's programme I kept thinking about all of those in the archive footage that are no longer around. E.g. Ronnie Drew and the deceased members of the Dubliners, Dermot Morgan, Terry Wogan.

Many of those that are still around are coming towards the end of their lives - Finbar Furey and Eamon Dunphy are well into their seventies, Mike Murphy is nearly 80, Geldof is nearly 70.

fryup

zcorpian88 wrote: »

What the f**k was with Nell Mcafferty though? Bloody aul bag, never liked her.

never liked her either, man hating provo cheerleader.....thats the odd thing about Gaybo he had some strange bedfellows over the years another was Ulick O'Connor alcoholic ignoramus

171170

sondagefaux wrote: »

Lyric FM is an RTÉ radio station.

https://www.rte.ie/lyricfm/

Mea culpa, you are correct. :rolleyes:


In my defence I had (mistakenly) assumed that readers of my post would understand the difference between mainstream RTE TV and Radio (from which Gaybo retired in 1999) and a niche station like Lyric FM.

Edgware

fatknacker wrote: »

Unappreciated comment.

By you. Another one brainwashed by the Montrose bull****ery

Edgware

fryup wrote: »

never liked her either, man hating provo cheerleader.....thats the odd thing about Gaybo he had some strange bedfellows over the years another was Ulick O'Connor alcoholic ignoramus[/

Gob****es who wouldn't be entertained anywhere else. Irish audiences, many in single channel land, thought these crowd were great because they were on D'telly. Give me a break.

fryup

Oasis1974 wrote: »

How many times did Gay Byrne get screwed over with his money lost a packet over the years.

Danzy wrote: »

Once by a crook and once by crooks running banks in to the ground.

strange that, thought Gaybo being a worldly educated man would be too savvy to be done over like that

ToBeFrank123

Edgware wrote: »

Gob****es who wouldn't be entertained anywhere else. Irish audiences, many in single channel land, thought these crowd were great because they were on D'telly. Give me a break.

You've probably posted more times on this thread than anyone else. Odd for someone who claims not to give a damn about the subject in question.

ToBeFrank123

fryup wrote: »

strange that, thought Gaybo being a worldly educated man would be too savvy to be done over like that

People a lot smarter than him got screwed over by Russell Murphy and the also the collapse of Irish bank shares.

That's in the past now anyways.

Its such an Irish thing to drag up negative stuff from the past when someone dies! He lost money, so what. Its nobody else's business but his own.

Edgware

fryup wrote: »

strange that, thought Gaybo being a worldly educated man would be too savvy to be done over like that

He was afraid to ask his bosses for a raise even though his two shows were attracting the highest advertising rates. I heard one "celebrity" say that when Gaybo retired the freebies for himself and Kathleen dried up. No more hotel breaks, invitations to restaurant openings, taken off the list of the P.R. companies. You are only of use to them when you can mention their product on the T.V. and Radio. "Oh Kathleen and I had a wonderful break in Hotel Ripoff at the weekend. They treated us wonderfully"

ToBeFrank123

Edgware wrote: »

He was afraid to ask his bosses for a raise even though his two shows were attracting the highest advertising rates. I heard one "celebrity" say that when Gaybo retired the freebies for himself and Kathleen dried up. No more hotel breaks, invitations to restaurant openings, taken off the list of the P.R. companies. You are only of use to them when you can mention their product on the T.V. and Radio. "Oh Kathleen and I had a wonderful break in Hotel Ripoff at the weekend. They treated us wonderfully"

And the bitterness and negativity continues. You've dragged this thread down the drain with your snipes at him. Well done.

partyguinness

I was always under the impression that when he retired in 1999 he was subject to 'Golden Handcuffs'. Basically still drawing a 'consultancy' fee from RTE so he would not go work elsewhere i.e. a competitor.

fergiesfolly

ToBeFrank123 wrote: »

And the bitterness and negativity continues. You've dragged this thread down the drain with your snipes at him. Well done.

He hasn't.
He's made himself look like a plank. And he's not alone in this thread.
Does he turn up at funerals with his candid views of the deceased. Does he feck. Keyboard warrior.

For my own two cents....
I grew up with Gay on the radio, Monday to Friday, informing the nation and again on Saturday night on television entertaining the nation. He had a unique gift of being able to tackle both the serious and the frivolous with equal measure and although he made one or two poor judgements, over the course of 50 years in broadcasting he delivered some of the best tv and radio seen and heard here, or anywhere else for that matter.
A master at his art and a gentleman too.

Condolences to his family.
May he rest in peace.

Beechwoodspark

Just from talking to the public this morning on my rounds in midlands Ireland.

Most ppl respect GB and his family and are sad at his passing but a good number of ppl said to me the “current shower” in RTÉ cannot lace his boots particularly tubridy and Duffy.

I think this has passed by the younger generation also.

Asked one early 30s guy and he had hardly any recollection of GB. Might as well have been talking about Charlie Chaplin or count John McCormack.

Beechwoodspark

So it’s a generational thing

FrancieBrady

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Asked one early 30s guy and he had hardly any recollection of GB. Might as well have been talking about Charlie Chaplin or count John McCormack.

So what?

Are you trying to get down with the young 'uns?

Other people live here too.

Ursus Horribilis

Gaybo wasn't always likeable but you could never accuse him of not being a perfectionist. Even with limited budgets and the changing times, I doubt he would have let the Late Late turn into the amateur **** show it has become. It's telling that for all the many hours of TV and radio he broadcast, the mis-steps people remember are very few. His radio show was always on in the kitchen when I was growing up and I remember watching the latter days of the Late Late. I'm too young to remember most of the times he poked a stick at the sacred cows in this country but I'm glad he did. He won't have single handedly brought about change in Ireland but he did play a small part.

He is also from the era when talk shows were more about the guests than the host. He had the ability to sit back and let his guests speak. The instinct to know when a conversation was heading in a different bit interesting direction. Those skills appear to have been largely lost on TV. Or at the very least, have gone out of fashion. Perhaps that's why Tommy Tiernan's show has done so well. He's happy to sit back and listen.

I think we were lucky to have him when we did. We'll never know if other people would have stepped into the breach and done the same things he did. But Gaybo did and I have a feeling he was quite brave behind the scenes. I hope his legacy won't be forgotten. He's never going to mean anything to the young people of today but they should be told about him.

Raconteuse

Edgware wrote: »

By you. Another one brainwashed by the Montrose bull****ery

God you're aggressive and seemingly a bit nuts.

They actually meant your comment deserves more appreciation.

Raconteuse

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Just from talking to the public this morning on my rounds in midlands Ireland.

Most ppl respect GB and his family and are sad at his passing but a good number of ppl said to me the “current shower” in RTÉ cannot lace his boots particularly tubridy and Duffy.

I think this has passed by the younger generation also.

Asked one early 30s guy and he had hardly any recollection of GB. Might as well have been talking about Charlie Chaplin or count John McCormack.

Two 25-year-old lads at work were glued to the tribute show and discussing it at length this morning.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

BrianD3 wrote: »

I agree with this. Also, I'm in my 40s and have become very conscious of the passing of time and how precarious and precious life is. Having witnessed what cancer, and in particular, metastatic prostate cancer does to people, I suspect that the last couple of years of Gay Byrne's life were very tough and that this was downplayed by him when interviewed.

Also, watching last night's programme I kept thinking about all of those in the archive footage that are no longer around. E.g. Ronnie Drew and the deceased members of the Dubliners, Dermot Morgan, Terry Wogan.

Many of those that are still around are coming towards the end of their lives - Finbar Furey and Eamon Dunphy are well into their seventies, Mike Murphy is nearly 80, Geldof is nearly 70.

:eek:

Cork Boy 53

Edgware wrote: »

He was afraid to ask his bosses for a raise even though his two shows were attracting the highest advertising rates. I heard one "celebrity" say that when Gaybo retired the freebies for himself and Kathleen dried up. No more hotel breaks, invitations to restaurant openings, taken off the list of the P.R. companies. You are only of use to them when you can mention their product on the T.V. and Radio. "Oh Kathleen and I had a wonderful break in Hotel Ripoff at the weekend. They treated us wonderfully"

Congratulations. You are the undisputed king of begrudgery and negativity on this thread. Hope you're proud of yourself.:rolleyes:

DublinWriter

fryup wrote: »

strange that, thought Gaybo being a worldly educated man would be too savvy to be done over like that

Russell Murphy was a real charmer and con-man. He was the go-to accountant for many in show-business and broadcasting.

Mike Murphy got a bad feeling about Russell Murphy a few years before his death and was perhaps the only ex-client to get all his cash out.

jmayo

sideswipe wrote: »

Mad how times have changed, when Gay started off TV presenters were put on a pedestal. I only just watched that interview with the woman that had the kid with the Bishop (can't remember her name). If he was a presenter today and had acted like that he'd be ran out of town and would be living in Al Porters basement.

You do know that Gay Byrne played a part in echoing in some of those changes ?

fryup wrote: »

never liked her either, man hating provo cheerleader.....thats the odd thing about Gaybo he had some strange bedfellows over the years another was Ulick O'Connor alcoholic ignoramus

Fair enough you didn't like the guy, you are entitled to voice that opinion.

But you don't have to be a dick to keep coming back to reiterate it over and over, nor then go on to relate to all of us all the others you hold in disdain.

And you are not the only one at it.

jay136

I always remember him as a child on the x mass show never will forget

easypazz

Cork Boy 53 wrote: »

RTE are to broadcast live coverage of Gaybo`s funeral on Friday. I can`t ever remember them doing this previously for someone other than a former Taoiseach or President.

JFK afaik.

frosty123

Who remembers the lesbian nuns interview? ?

when you had members of the legion of mary protesting outside RTE headquaters

Lefty Bicek

jay136 wrote: »

I always remember him as a child on the x mass show never will forget

Fr. Brian Darcy with the Scalextric...

FrancieBrady

easypazz wrote: »

JFK afaik.

Somebody posted last night that Brendan Grace and Gerry Ryan's funeral's were broadcast too.

The first telly in our house (like a lot of Irish houses) was bought for JFK's funeral.

JupiterKid

There really was no-one else who came remotely close to Gaybo in terms of Irish broadcasting. He had a natural flair, charisma, professionalism and astuteness that is just not there among today's presenters.

He left a huge legacy and also a void in television and radio. I get the distinct impression he was a generous man who worked extremely hard for his viewers and listeners.

My parents were big fans of Gay Byrne, as were most Irish people of their generation - born in the 1940s and who saw the beginning and impact of television on their lives.

And for my generation - children of the 1970s and 80s, Gaybo was a constant in TV and radio and of course the magical Toy Shows.

Even two friends of my older sister, one from Belgium where she worked and lived and another from Germany, who came over on a visit to Ireland in the early 1990s with my sister, fell in love with the place, moved over and put down roots here, were fondly recalling Gaybo in comments on a post I put up in tribute to him on FB. That's the impact he had on people.

Claw Hammer

I thought he'd never die.

Airyfairy12

Some of the comments here are terrible. An elderly man who just died of cancer, have yous no respect? Anyone would think he personally attacked some of you. Get a life.

Bob Harris

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

He is also from the era when talk shows were more about the guests than the host. He had the ability to sit back and let his guests speak. The instinct to know when a conversation was heading in a different bit interesting direction. Those skills appear to have been largely lost on TV. Or at the very least, have gone out of fashion. Perhaps that's why Tommy Tiernan's show has done so well. He's happy to sit back and listen.

TV interviews used to be very different in Ireland, UK and US. The setting of the interview was far more intimate as were the answers and the formats much longer.

Now it's 5-10 minutes, the topics largely superficial and the answers short and usually shortened further by the interviewer's anxiety to read the next question of the cue card.

fryup

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

Some of the comments here are terrible. An elderly man who just died of cancer, have yous no respect? Anyone would think he personally attacked some of you. Get a life.

welcome to the internet

donkeykong5

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

Some of the comments here are terrible. An elderly man who just died of cancer, have yous no respect? Anyone would think he personally attacked some of you. Get a life.

Yeah I agree. The show last night was very good. There were some very genuine people there in audience and paying tributes. Unfortunately the usual plebs who go to the opening of a tin of beans were also there. It's a pity the show wasn't more researched and shown this Friday night.

Mad_maxx

DublinWriter wrote: »

Russell Murphy was a real charmer and con-man. He was the go-to accountant for many in show-business and broadcasting.

Mike Murphy got a bad feeling about Russell Murphy a few years before his death and was perhaps the only ex-client to get all his cash out.

And then got involved in the property bubble only to loose his arse

MM lost a tonne

Mad_maxx

Lefty Bicek wrote: »

Fr. Brian Darcy with the Scalextric...

Fr Brian D'Arcy is such a media whore, I've yet to witness the death of any well known person in this country without the insufferable Fr Brian being wheeled out to tell us he'd known them since 1958

donkeykong5

Mad_maxx wrote: »

And then got involved in the property bubble only to loose his arse

MM lost a tonne

Thought he made a fortune with land he owned around city west

easypazz

donkeykong5 wrote: »

Yeah I agree. The show last night was very good. There were some very genuine people there in audience and paying tributes. Unfortunately the usual plebs who go to the opening of a tin of beans were also there. It's a pity the show wasn't more researched and shown this Friday night.

I watched a bit of it and thought it was a cringe fest. The usual RTE jerk circle patting each other on the back promoting themselves behind it all.



Luckily I caught the Omagh bomb victims piece, probably the only genuine part of the whole show.

high_king

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

He is also from the era when talk shows were more about the guests than the host. He had the ability to sit back and let his guests speak. The instinct to know when a conversation was heading in a different bit interesting direction. Those skills appear to have been largely lost on TV

Spot on. Tubbs, Miriam, Joe Duffy etc. all think it's about them being on TV instead of the guest. A soon as the guest's story gets interesting they ask some half witted off topic question to draw attention back to themselves, and the interview is fecked.

Lefty Bicek

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Fr Brian D'Arcy is such a media whore, I've yet to witness the death of any well known person in this country without the insufferable Fr Brian being wheeled out to tell us he'd known them since 1958

The original Fr. Trendy is bit of a relic alright. Been high profile for a long, long time though.

Must be nearly forty years ago since his 'A Little Bit of Religion' on the Sunday World ?

branie2

One of my lecturers in college wrote a book about Gay.

Allinall

I went to the same school as Gay Byrne.

He was a few years ahead of me.

fryup

donkeykong5 wrote: »

Yeah I agree. The show last night was very good. There were some very genuine people there in audience and paying tributes. Unfortunately the usual plebs who go to the opening of a tin of beans were also there. It's a pity the show wasn't more researched and shown this Friday night.

i suppose they couldn't do a tribute show this friday as they already had guests booked....but i'm sure they'll do a segment dedicated to him

easypazz

branie2 wrote: »

One of my lecturers in college wrote a book about Gay.

My mother used watch the Late Late show on Saturday nights.

Seamai

Bob Harris wrote: »

TV interviews used to be very different in Ireland, UK and US. The setting of the interview was far more intimate as were the answers and the formats much longer.

Now it's 5-10 minutes, the topics largely superficial and the answers short and usually shortened further by the interviewer's anxiety to read the next question of the cue card.

Spot on!