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A Dublin primary
school has scrapped writ- Broadcaster Gay Byrne Dies, IRISH
ten homework to ease the
pressure on students and
parents. Aged 85 After Long Illness EXAMINER
Loreto in Rathfarnham
still expects students to do roadcaster Gay |
spellings and tables Byrne has died at
though. Bthe age of 85 after a
Teachers at the school long illness, RTE said. November
said there has been an The RTE broadcaster and
improvement in the abili- former Late Late Show host
ties of students in these had been undergoing treat- 6th,
areas. ment for cancer. 2019
Principal, Sister Maria The father-of-two died in
Hyland, said the move Howth surrounded by his
was in response to the family.
demands faced by par- RTE director-general Dee
ents. Forbes paid tribute to Mr
Sister Hyland said: “We Byrne.
asked what was it achiev- “We are all greatly sad-
ing? And I suppose we are dened by the passing of Gay
Byrne who has been a house-
being responsive and rela- hold name in this country for
tive to present reality for so many years,” she said.
parents who are very “Gay was an exceptional
busy, maybe both parents broadcaster whose unique
are working and they are and ground-breaking style
coming home late in the contributed so much to the
evening and children are development of radio and
tired. television in this country.
“So we decided that “Gay’s journalistic legacy
what we would do is that is as colossal as the man him- The Gay Byrne Show. exuded warmth and pres- “I watched him as a child,
the written homework, self – he not only defined The show had a close rela- ence, who was possessed of worked alongside him as a
which seems to take forev- generations, but he deftly tionship with its listeners, effortless wit, charm and young man and he guided
er for certain children, that arbitrated the growth and many of whom wrote to or who had a flair for broadcast- me as I grew older, and I will
we would leave the development of a nation. phoned Gay to comment on ing. forever be indebted to him.
spellings and a little bit of “Ireland grew up under the issues of the day, and “This was combined with “We in RTE have lost a
oral work.” Gay Byrne and we will never with their own stories. an innate gentleness as a per- friend, a family have lost a
He won a Jacob’s Award
see his like again. My deepest
son,
father and a husband and the
and
professionalism
Marc O Cathasaigh, a for the program in 1976. humour. country has lost an icon.”
primary school teacher in sympathies to Kathleen and Over his long career Gay “Through his work in Fianna Fail Leader
his family.”
Waterford, said there is a Born in Dublin in August presented The Rose of radio and on television he Micheal Martin said: “Gay
time and place for some 1934, Gay grew up on the Tralee, The Calor Housewife challenged Irish society, and Byrne has left an indelible
assignment work to be South Circular Road. of the Year competition, as shone a light not only on the mark, not only on Irish
done at home. He started work as a well as a range of special pro- bright but also the dark sides broadcasting, but on Irish
Mr O Cathasaigh said: newsreader and continuity grams. of Irish life. society as a whole.
“I’m all for spellings to be announcer on Radio Eireann He presented his final “In doing so, he became “Through his radio pro-
done at home, reading to in the late 1950s before mov- daily radio show in 1998 and one of the most familiar and gram and TV shows, includ-
be done at home, reading ing to Granada Television in his final Late Late Show the distinctive voices of our ing his 37 years as host of
is incredibly important to Manchester, where he following summer. times, helping shape our con- The Late Late Show, Gay
do at home, but unless I worked on a variety of However, he did not science, our self-image, and was a feature in Irish homes
have a specific reason for shows, interviewing acts retire from public life, our idea of who we might be. the length and breadth of the
assigning written home- including The Beatles. becoming the chairman of “Beyond compassion, country.
work, I’d probably prefer For a time he commuted the Road Safety Authority which he had in abundance, “His intellect and emo-
not to give it, to be honest. between Dublin and UK, and presenting other he had a sense of what was tional intelligence was
“Then you get the working for both the BBC acclaimed television shows, just.” unparalleled and his ability
Broadcaster Ryan Tubridy
pother side of the story, and RTE, but came back to including The Meaning of was among those who paid to sensitively approach deli-
Ireland full-time in the late
cate and sometimes contro-
Life.
parents worry if there is 1960s as presenter and pro- He is survived by his wife tribute to Mr Byrne. versial issues set him apart
not homework coming ducer of The Late Late Kathleen, their daughters “It is with enormous and from other presenters.
home, some people make Show. Crona and Suzy, and their profound sadness that I “Gay Byrne was a rare
the argument that it is a The program went on to families. heard of the passing of my treasure who touched the
good way of having a become the world’s longest- Mr Byrne was described as friend and mentor, Gay lives, not only of his family
home school communica- running chat show. a man “of great charisma” by Byrne,” he added. and friends, but the hundreds
tion, so that parents know He also presented a long- Ireland’s president Michael D “He was the master, a of thousands of people who
what’s going on within the running radio show on RTE Higgins. once-off and the likes of welcomed him into their
classroom.” C Radio 1, first known as The Mr Higgins added: “Gay which we will never see lives and their homes on the
Gay Byrne Hour and then Byrne was someone who again. radio and TV.” C

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