Gay Byrne has died.

[Potnoodledoo]

A stalmart of Irish TV and The Late Late Show.He was 85.

Gone to tell the Big Man all about his conversation with Stephen Fry.

Gutted to see this, even given his age and illness. Who didn't grow up with Gaybo.

Legend

Eventhough he was 85 it's a shock. He was an icon on irish tv !!!

Hadn't heard that, RIP Gay

Pompous patronising ass - will never forget how he treated Annie Murphy

Took me straight back to my 70's childhood. RIp Gay.

@Dora26

I agree with you on that actually. She was appallingly treated and the audience were as bad!

Sad. We all grew up with him.

He’d been ill for a while I think. Wasn’t at Kathleen’s book launch or something a couple of weeks ago which made me think he wasn’t good.

He could be pompous yes but I liked him. He was fab with Sinead O’Connor one time she was to sing and she was so nervous you could see it and he was lovely with her. Very gentle and encouraging and almost paternal.

He ruined many a saturday night round ours. Eternally pleased with himself in his tiny world. He represents a time in Ireland that I personally wont mourn.

He wasn't really my cup of tea, but I'm second generation irish and the opening credits of The Late Late Show with the owl is one of my childhood memories!

That's interesting lolaflores - I'm young enough that my memories are mostly around the Toy Show etc. I thought he was seen as quite forward looking - showing condoms on TV, "there was no sex in Ireland before the Late Late" etc. Was that not how it seemed at the time? I thought he was viewed as one of the forces that helped drag Ireland into the modern world.

There was the kerry baby thing going on. Ann Lovett. What I saw on a saturday night were self satisfied conservative backbone of irish society, all having the craic. Maybe I was the wrong age group but he just seemed self satisfied in a bubble.

They couldn't avoid condoms because of HIV and sure it was a bit of a giggle.
I didnt see anything that spoke to me on The Late Late. There was recession, emigration by the plane and boatload and on a saturdat night, the audience were singing messages to the family. There wasnt enough cringe available.

He represents a time in Ireland that I personally wont mourn

This ^

But I also have fond memories of being home sick and listening with my mam.
He was of his time and I’m glad that time is over.

While I didn't enjoy him on radio or TV he brought a lot of joy to my mam, & many others. I've just watched this, . Annie Murphy, what a dignified woman you were in the face of such scorn

Watched that clip and it sums up a lot of the late late for me. But again, it wasnt aimed at me but I dont think anything on RTE at the time was. I did have a soft spot for Glenroe...it was an improvement on The Riordans

Wow, I just googled that Annie Murphy interview and watched it. What a woman.

I just read some Irish Times articles...oh my word. I dont think I could have stepped into the media shit storm she did. Fair play to her. But he let her get mauled. There was o interest in her side of the story. Just short of a public lynching.