Gay Byrne

This article is about the Irish television presenter. See Gabriel Byrne for the Irish actor.

Gay Byrne
Born	(1934-08-05) August 5, 1934 Ireland
Occupation(s)	Television personality, Chairman of the Road Safety Authority
Spouse	Kathleen Watkins
Children	Suzy, Crona

Gabriel Mary Byrne, known as Gay Byrne and nicknamed Gaybo (born 5 August, 1934) is an Irish broadcaster. He was the presenter of the Late Late Show, from 1962 to 1999 except for one year. He also presented a regular morning radio show on RTE. He is credited with being a catalyst in the transformation of Irish Society since the 1960s. He broke many Irish social taboos by discussing many topics like contraception, Homosexuality and abortion. Byrne undoubtedly had more influence in determining the current social landscape of Irish society, than any other member of his generation (per Gay Byrne), though he always adopted a more reticent view of his own role. His viewpoint was that societal change was taking place, and he was merely highlighting this change.

Early career

Gay Byrne was born in Dublin. His father and grandfather had been employed by Guinness; it was expected that he would follow the family career. After being educated by the Irish Christian Brothers at the Synge Street CBS he worked at the North Strand cinema. He subsequently became a clerk in an insurance company. He then worked as a sales representative. He also met foreign dignitaries at Dublin Airport, and welcomed them to Ireland.

In 1958 he moved over to broadcasting when he became a presenter on Radio Éireann. He also worked with Granada Television and the BBC in England.

File:Gaybyrnelate.jpg

Gay Byrne hosting The Late Late Show

In 1961 Telefís Éireann (later RTÉ) was set up. He finally worked exclusively for the new Irish service after 1969. He introduced many popular programmes with his most popular and successful programme being The Late Late Show.

Late Late Show

On 6 July, 1962, the first episode of the Late Late Show was aired. Originally the show was scheduled as an eight-week summer filler. The programme, which is still broadcast, has become the world's longest running chat show. The show became a forum where controversial topics such as the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, contraception, AIDS, unemployment, homosexuality, clerical sexual abuse, divorce, and other hitherto taboo subjects were discussed openly in Ireland, alongside book reviews, celebrity visits, and music acts like the Boomtown Rats, U2, Sinéad O'Connor, Boyzone, and Noel Gallagher. Other guests included Presidents of Ireland, successive Archbishops of Armagh, minor members of the British Royal Family, politicians, actors, authors and countless others.

On 21 May, 1999, he presented his last Late Late Show. From September 1999 the show has been presented by Pat Kenny. The show had much to do in shaping the new Ireland that was emerging from the 1960s. Indeed it was famously said by politician and Papal Knight Oliver J. Flanagan that, there was no sex in Ireland before television." Byrne himself as a presenter, was not a radical social reformer and his style was less challenging than the style of the current Late Late Show presenter Pat Kenny.

During the early years of Byrne's time hosting The Late Late Show, prior to about 1978 when the second national Irish TV channel was launched, he was employed by RTÉ on a continuously renewing 3-month contract, lest his employer might want to fire him any time they choose.

Radio broadcaster

Byrne was also a radio broadcaster. He is best remembered for his two hour morning show, The Gay Byrne Hour, later renamed The Gay Byrne Show (1972 - 1999). Joe Duffy was a reporter on The Gay Byrne Show and subsequently succeeded him as presenter. Byrne presented the annual Rose of Tralee festival for 17 years until 1994.

Retirement

Byrne has not completely retired and continues to feature occasionally on radio and television. He has hosted for one season, the Irish version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Due to Byrnes ludicrously high salary for the show it only lasted one year. He also hosted The Gay Byrne Music Show and Make 'Em Laugh, a series about comedy in Ireland, Gaybo's Grumpy Men and a series Class Reunion. He has featured on radio occasionally, in 2006 presented a weekly Sunday afternoon show entitled Sunday Serenade on Lyric FM. In March 2006 Byrne was appointed as the Chairman of the Irish Road Safety Authority [2], a public body given the task of improving road safety in the Republic of Ireland.

Byrne published his autobiography co-written with Deirdre Purcell.

Personal life

Byrne is married to Kathleen Watkins, formerly a well-known harpist and they have two daughters. They live in Howth, County Dublin.

Byrne relied on an accountant friend, Russell Murphy, to manage his finances, and was personally distraught when upon the accountant's death in 1986, it was found that most of his savings had been squandered, and this had been hidden from him.

Other work

Byrne hosted The RTÉ People in Need Telethon several times from 1988 to 2001.

Honours and awards

• In 1988, Byrne was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Literature from Trinity College, Dublin.
• In 1999 he was granted the Freedom of Dublin City.
• He received a Lifetime Achievement Award in February 2007.[3]
• He holds the record for the greatest number of Jacob's Awards received, winning a total of six for his radio and television work.
• He was appointed chairman of the road safety authority in Ireland in 2006.[4]

See also

• List of people on stamps of Ireland