A letter from the U2 drummer, Larry Mullen was read out live on air to Larry Gogan by Tracy Clifford on 2FM, on Thursday afternoon, as the presenter finished his 40plus year reign with RTÉ 2fm. The veteran broadcaster is is moving to a new home, on RTÉ Gold.

The letter in full reads: "Dear Larry, greetings from the sky. I'm scribbling this note at 35,000 feet, looking down on a partially frozen Potomac River as we prepare to land in Washington, hours late, due to Trump's shutdown!

"It's been a happy/sad kind of day. My youngest child has just celebrated his 18th birthday, and you are at the end of your time in 2FM. Youth is wasted on the young and age is just a number.

"I wanted to be home for both occasions; unfortunately I had to make this trip.

"We are alike in some ways: never that comfortable in the spotlight, but spending our careers there. You wear it better than I, with grace and dignity.

"I wanted to write, as it feels like the best way for me to honour you. It also means that only one of us gets embarrassed!

"It's never too late to thank you, or to recognise your part in our early success story, and that of so many others. Late night radio tastemakers, then and now, claim and receive credit, as they should, for their part in all our success stories.

"But you have been a constant on daytime 2FM for just 40 years. A little less glamorous or cool to some, maybe, but that's who you are: non-elitist, just playing the music you love.

"I'll miss you on 2FM - suppose I'll just have to press a button and find you on Gold.

"And that's what you are, Larry Gogan, pure gold."

“For a man of few words, Larry Mullen has long been expansive in his appreciation of the other Larry,” Hot Press editor Niall Stokes said. "On a number of occasions, he has chosen 2fm’s Larry as the one with whom to do exclusive interviews. And for good reason. There is something powerful in common between the two men – which is that straight-forward, impressively down to earth quality which you get from Larry Gogan every time you hear his voice. There are no pretences. What you see is what you get. And as Larry Mullen has pointed out, in the case of Larry Gogan, the result is a genuinely nice, decent, enthusiastic, supportive character.

“Larry Gogan has been a mainstay in Irish radio for well over 40 years, bringing a lightness of touch and a genuine love for what he does to every show. He also has a great sense of humour, which comes across again and again on-air. It is a great quality in a broadcaster not to take oneself too seriously. During his entire time with RTÉ 2fm, Larry Gogan never did. But, of course, other broadcasters take him seriously – because listening to Larry has always been like a masterclass in making radio magic, lifting people’s spirits and entertaining them. Long may he reign in the land of Gold."