'A voice for change and force for good' Taoiseach pays tribute

Pat Kenny has spoken of how he got a chance to say goodbye to his friend and mentor Gay Byrne yesterday.

Speaking to Ivan Yates on The Hard Shoulder he described how he died 'at peace' surrounded by his family overlooking Dublin Bay.

In an emotional tribute, he said "I saw Gay yesterday and I knew the end was near but not perhaps as imminent as it turned out to be. He was at home with the girls, with Kay of course, and Suzy and Crona arrived just as I was leaving, and all the children and the girls spouses. He was looking out on Dublin Bay and the Bailey Lighthouse and he was very calm. I'm not sure he was aware that I was there for very long, but I was privileged to be allowed by the family to say my goodbyes. I can assure you he died at peace."

Kenny who succeeded Gay Byrne as Presenter of The Late Late Show in 1999 said 'we all feel diminished at his passing.' He described him as the inventor of modern Irish radio. He said "he was not just the embodiment of the sound of the generation he was the embodiment of the views of the generation. He really did reinvent Irish radio."

Gay Byrne along the River Liffey in Dublin. Photo Thomas Brett/RollingNews.ie

The President and the Taoiseach have also paid tributes to the late broadcaster Gay Byrne.

President Michael D Higgins described him as a man of great charisma.

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. In doing so, he became one of the most familiar and distinctive voices of our times, helping shape our conscience, our self-image, and our idea of who we might be. Beyond compassion, which he had in abundance, he had a sense of what was just."

The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said we have lost someone who was a voice for change and force for good. He described Gay Byrne as the most influential broadcaster in the history of the state and a much-loved figure who changed Ireland for the better in so many ways.

He said "Gay Byrne had a central place in Irish homes for many decades - on radio and on television - and the story of his remarkable contribution to Irish life is the story of how we changed and evolved as a society over the past 60 years. A consummate entertainer, he also provided a voice for all those who had been silenced or were afraid to speak up, and he forced us to confront things that needed to be challenged in our society."

The Taoiseach also recognised Mr Byrne's work as Chairman of the Road Safety Authority. He said "for almost a decade he spoke with feeling and understanding about the tragedy of road traffic deaths. When I was Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport I reappointed him to this role because I saw how his campaigning helped to save so many lives. I found him a wonderful public-spirited person who undertook his responsibilities at the RSA with the utmost seriousness and concern. He also spoke up for the whistle-blowers who exposed the abuse of the penalty points system and helped to bring about change."

Gay Byrne with his wife Kathleen Watkins at the 6th annual Irish Film and Television Awards at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin. Photo: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie

The chair of RTE Moya Doherty, described him as a cherished and loyal friend. she said he worked in a holden age of radio and television and he brought two unique gifts to his craft. "He was able to see around societal corners and predict what the next emerging social, political, or cultural issue was, the new issue which needed to be brought to the public stage, whatever the ensuing controversy."

She said "The Ireland we know today was in many aspects framed by the work which Gay Byrne did over many years and when we look at RTE today we can only feel blessed that we stand on the shoulders on one of the giants of world public service broadcasting. Thank you Gay. We, as a nation, owe you a great debt"

Dublin City Council is to open a book of condolence to allow the people of Dublin to express their sympathies to Gay Byrne's family.

The public will be able to sign the Book at The Mansion House, Dawson St on Tuesday November 5th from 11am - 5pm and on Wednesday November 6th from 10 am - 5pm .

RTÉ Director-General, Dee Forbes, said we will never see his likes again. she said "We are all greatly saddened by the passing of Gay Byrne who has been a household name in this country for so many years. Gay was an exceptional broadcaster whose unique and ground-breaking style contributed so much to the development of radio and television in this country. Gay's journalistic legacy is as colossal as the man himself - 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. My deepest sympathies to Kathleen and his family."