Culture
07 Nov 19

Late Late Show guests pay tribute to the late Gay Byrne

<i>Late Late Show</i> guests pay tribute to the late Gay Byrne

Friends and fans shared their memories of the veteran broadcaster Tuesday night.

Friends, colleagues and admirers of the late Gay Byrne gathered on a special live edition of The Late Late Show Tuesday night to celebrate the famed Irish broadcaster's life and legacy. Byrne, who passed away at 85 on Monday after a long battle with illness, was supported by the likes of President Michael D. Higgins, U2's Bono, Pat Kenny, Joe Duffy, Mary McAleese and many others.

The opening to The Late Late Show Gay Byrne Tribute. #LateLate pic.twitter.com/sF7ukfLOOo

— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) November 5, 2019

President Higgins, who kicked off the show as its first guest, lauded Byrne for fostering "a safe, non-judgemental space where you could begin to think in a modern way" and having the courage to "open up what needed to be opened up."

"He had an instinct for the decencies of people that weren't suppressed, but maybe repressed," Higgins continued. "He was very fair and I think that was impressive."

President Michael D Higgins joins Ryan to speak about the late great Gay Byrne. #LateLate pic.twitter.com/MiZUYDdX4j

— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) November 5, 2019

Higgins went on to praise Byrne for his insistence on steering the conversation in 1960s Ireland toward "aspects of modernity were gradually making their way in."

"And that conversation, remember, was happening as people were kind of stirring out from quite an authoritarian ethos," Higgins said. "It was the time when people would say, 'We have to read things for you that aren't good for you to read.'"

President Michael D. Higgins, signing the book of condolence for Gay Byrne, at the RTÉ studios. pic.twitter.com/eioransAWF

— President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) November 5, 2019

Subsequent guests brought color to Byrne's life with personal anecdotes of their experiences with the icon.

Former Late Late Show presenter Pat Kenny revealed how he once staged a kidnapping of Gay Byrne in the '60s as part of "student jape to kidnap the foremost broadcaster in the country and hold him for ransom to RTÉ."

"One of the chemical engineering students feigned an accident on Howth Hill [as] Gay was heading for The Late Late Show," Kenny said. "He squealed to a halt, whereupon we all emerged from the bushes to kidnap Gay Byrne. Gay was wise to it very quickly and sped off in his Triumph Vitesse."

Former #LateLate host Pat Kenny remembers an early meeting with Gay Byrne during his student days which involved him pranking the broadcasting icon pic.twitter.com/4MHDK6TC5g

— Entertainment on RTÉ (@RTE_Ents) November 5, 2019

"The next Monday morning we get a call from Gay," Kenny continued. "We thought we were going to have to apologise and be abject and all of that. And he said, 'How would you like to recreate that now for next Saturday's Late Late Show?'"

Later on in the show Bono called in from Australia, where U2 are currently on tour. The singer detailed to host Ryan Tubridy the time the band gifted Byrne a Harley Davidson for his last Late Late Show in 1999.

"It seemed like the wrong show to bring up the bike because I think [Gay's wife] Kathleen thought we were trying to kill him," said Bono. "And in fact the band talked Gay down eventually from riding the Harley Davidson because he really loved the bike and he wouldn't get off it there for a while. He was a real enthusiast for his Harley."

Bono paid tribute to Gay Byrne and spoke about his legacy and the Harley Davidson that U2 gifted him for his retirement #LateLate pic.twitter.com/BO3SieJ5P4

— Entertainment on RTÉ (@RTE_Ents) November 5, 2019

"Eventually when I met Gay I said, 'Are you still on the Harley?' and he said, 'No, Kathleen talked me down off of that. She thinks I'm a danger to myself and others,'" Bono continued. "But it was a nice thing to have Gay join the Hell's Angels, don't you think?"

A star-studded cast of Irish musicians including John Sheahan, Andrea Corr, Mary Black, Donal Lunny and Sharon Shannon came into The Late Late Show studio to perform in honour of Byrne.

A special musical performance for the night that's in it. #LateLate pic.twitter.com/O2oVwFLtc2

— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) November 5, 2019

Bob Geldof of the Boomtown Rats told of his first appearance on The Late Late Show in the '70s during which he came at Byrne, who he identified at the time as "part of the problem."

"I thought it would be the one and only time I'd be on television so everything had to be vented and thrown out, and he just guided it along effortlessly," Geldof said. "About halfway through my ranting, I thought, 'I'm being spun out here, there's something going on.' And the crowd started booing and telling me to shut up and he held his hands up and said, 'Hold on! Let the poor, deluded fella have his say.'"

Broadcaster Joe Duffy read the poem 'Funeral Blues' by W. H. Auden in honour of Byrne, while journalists Vincent Browne and Eamon Dunphy took the stage to pay their own tributes to the late broadcaster.

"He has so many gifts," said Dunphy. "He was a producer working the balance between light and shade and he created something in this country that no other country in the world has."

The night ended with a rendition of "The Parting Glass," performed by a traditional supergroup composed of Finbar Furey, John Sheahan of the Dubliners, Sharon Shannon, Donal Lunny and Mary Black.

The finale performance on our Gay Byrne Tribute, 'The Parting Glass'. #LateLate pic.twitter.com/VdK0Bk4Z7x

— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) November 5, 2019

“Gay Byrne was a part of this country's story for more than 60 years," current Late Late Show presenter Ryan Tubridy said. "He made us laugh, he made us angry, he made us sit up and take notice when we had to, and he made us endure an endless stream of the most repulsive Christmas jumpers anyone should ever have to see. And for most of that we are very, very grateful.”