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| Gay Byrne: Veteran Irish broadcaster dies aged 85 | Gay Byrne: Veteran Irish broadcaster dies aged 85 |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Renowned Irish broadcaster Gay Byrne has died at the age of 85. | Renowned Irish broadcaster Gay Byrne has died at the age of 85. |
| Mr Byrne was a giant in Irish broadcasting and hosted the Late Late Show - for more than 30 years on Irish national broadcaster RTÉ. | |
| RTÉ director general, Dee Forbes, said Mr Byrne had been a household name in Ireland for many years. | RTÉ director general, Dee Forbes, said Mr Byrne had been a household name in Ireland for many years. |
| She said he was "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. | |
| Mr Byrne had been ill for some time. | Mr Byrne had been ill for some time. |
| 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. | 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." | "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." |
| Irish president Michael D Higgins said Mr Byrne was "a man of great charisma, one of the most recognisable faces of Irish broadcasting". | |
| "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," 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," he said. |
| Byrne hosted the Late Late Show in a relaxed but intelligent manner. | |
| The show made headlines with highlights such as a 1993 interview with Annie Murphy who had a child with the Bishop of Galway, Eamon Casey. | The show made headlines with highlights such as a 1993 interview with Annie Murphy who had a child with the Bishop of Galway, Eamon Casey. |
| Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Brooke fell foul of the show in 1992 when he was coaxed into singing Oh My Darling Clementine on a day when seven Protestant workmen were killed in an IRA bomb. | Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Brooke fell foul of the show in 1992 when he was coaxed into singing Oh My Darling Clementine on a day when seven Protestant workmen were killed in an IRA bomb. |
| The show embraced discussion on divorce, abortion and sexuality. | The show embraced discussion on divorce, abortion and sexuality. |
| Gay Byrne also presented a long-running radio show which was first known as the Gay Byrne Hour and the Gay Byrne Show. | Gay Byrne also presented a long-running radio show which was first known as the Gay Byrne Hour and the Gay Byrne Show. |
| He also presented The Rose of Tralee, The Calor Housewife of the Year competition and as a range of special programmes. | |
| Gay Byrne presented his final daily radio show in 1998 and his final Late Late Show the following summer. | |
| He is survived by his wife, Kathleen, his daughters Crona and Suzy and his extended family. |