Gay Byrne

Gay Byrne is an Irish presenter and host of radio and television. He was the first host of The Late Late Show over a 37-year period spanning 1962 until 1999.

From Brigitte Nielsen to Shane Lynch - the most awkward moments on The Late Late Show ever 

There’s nothing quite so exhilarating as live TV and the chat show format, packaging guests into neatly timed segments, is particularly nerve-jangling...

Gay Byrne says he wouldn't host Late Late Show again if given the chance 

Gay Byrne has admitted that, if given the chance, he would never host the Late Late Show again.

'I would prefer that he didn't go back on the air at the moment' - Kathleen Watkins opens up about caring for Gay Byrne 

Author and broadcaster Kathleen Watkins opened up last night about her husband Gay Byrne's illness...

Exclusive Gay Byrne: I want to broadcast on RTE again but my family say no 

Gay Byrne has revealed RTE want him back on air to present his Sunday show on Lyric FM but his family has imposed a well-meaning veto.

Exclusive 'Oh, to be 60 again!' - Gay Byrne opens up about life, laughs and whether he'll return to radio 

It's a moveable feast with Gay Byrne and Kathleen Watkins, or Uncle Gaybo and Auntie Kathleen as the nation fondly calls them. The last time I talked...

Gay Byrne: Memories of a merry little toon from a merry little radio show 

At the time of writing, there is much controversy in the letters pages about our national anthem, mainly provoked by Fintan O'Toole writing of...

Gaybo toasts turning 84 as company funds climb to over €600K 

Shareholder funds at the media firm owned by Ireland's most celebrated broadcaster, Gay Byrne, passed the €600,000 mark in 2016.

'He’s had a tough time but he’s getting there' - Pat Kenny on pal Gay Byrne's cancer battle 

PAT Kenny says his former RTE colleague Gay Byrne has had a “tough time” following his cancer diagnosis, but is doing well.

Gay Byrne on the quiet joy of a smashing 'little' TV show, Mads Mikelson, and a chance encounter in the street 

My wife and I have sent letters at various times to Mary Kennedy and Anne Cassin to congratulate...

‘I have great regrets - I regret now the amount of time I gave to this place' - Gay Byrne on RTE 

Legendary broadcaster Gay Byrne returned to RTE this afternoon to speak to Ray D'Arcy about his 'gruelling' cancer treatment, long career and...

'Either I will survive or I won't. And that's the end of it...' Gay Byrne opens up about death and cancer 

Gay Byrne answers the door to his Sandymount home holding a large glass of whiskey. Jameson, it transpires, in the late afternoon is not one of...

'You want to lie under the bed, in the dark... and just die' - Gay Byrne on gruelling chemotherapy treatment 

Veteran RTE broadcaster Gay Byrne has described the chemotherapy treatment he has been receiving for prostate cancer as “gruelling”.

Gay Byrne 'in fighting form', 'recovering' from chemo 

Kathleen Watkins has said her husband Gay Byrne is recovering well from chemotherapy and is in fighting form.

‘When the Roses were all in bed sure we hit the town then!’ - the familiar faces who were escorts at the Rose of Tralee 

Among this year's batch of Rose of Tralee escorts is Jackie Healy Rae Junior, the grandson of the...

Gaybo makes good progress 

Broadcaster Gay Byrne has joked he is a "lousy patient" as he continues his treatment for prostate cancer.

Gay Byrne brands Stephen Fry inquiry 'ridiculous nonsense' as blasphemy case dropped 

Broadcaster Gay Byrne has described the blasphemy investigation against Stephen Fry as "ridiculous nonsense" after gardaí decided to drop the probe.

'Ongoing' investigation after 'blasphemy' complaint against Stephen Fry 

Police have said they will not comment on a complaint of blasphemy reportedly made against Stephen Fry.

'This is not a proper person we should have entertaining here' 

The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there. For proof of that famous opening line from LP Hartley's novel The Go Between, we can rewind 50 years to late April 1967 when...

Two decades on, a familiar blend of dignity and defiance 

'She's a disgrace," my mother ­pronounced softly and shockingly, even as she conceded evenhandedly that ­Annie Murphy truly was a clever and very handsome woman. But what was she ever...

Comment: Bishop Eamonn Casey was Ireland's most-loved priest when his affair was exposed 

It would be the understatement of the century to say that the nation was shocked in 1992 when it was revealed that Bishop Eamonn Casey had...

'My cancer treatment makes me grumpy, but people have been so kind' 

When Ryan Tubridy called into Gay Byrne last month for tea and a chat he reported back that Byrne was in "fine form" and had lost none of his "Gay...

Kathleen Watkins reveals husband Gay Byrne is 'back on his feet' with two new hips 

Broadcaster Gay Byrne is recovering after undergoing two hip replacement surgeries within the space of two weeks.

How the mystery of Wanderly Wagon's whereabouts was solved - by Gaybo 

Broadcaster Gay Byrne was coming to the end of his career as host of The Late Late Show when the producers decided it would be a great idea to...

Gay Byrne is 'doing okay, but won't return to airwaves until 2017' 

TV presenter Gay Byrne will not return to the airwaves until 2017 as he continues his fight with prostate cancer.

'We're keeping a very close eye on Gay' - says Ryan Tubridy at Late Late Toy Show launch 

Ryan Tubridy has said that Gay Byrne "seems to be doing okay" following the news that doctors fear he has prostate cancer.

Hozier reveals difficult childhood after father's failed spinal surgery left him wheelchair bound 

Grammy-nominated singer Hozier has opened up about his father's debilitating spinal condition which marked "the watershed of childhood."

'I have strong opinions about where the Church should stick its nose out of' - Hozier goes head to head with Gay Byrne on Catholicism 

Hozier goes head to head with Gay Byrne on the issue of the Church and Catholicism in Ireland in...

Gay Byrne set to get deep and meaningful with Hozier, Richard Dawkins, and Tanaiste Joan Burton 

Singer songwriter Hozier, Tanaiste Joan Burton, Sister Stanislaus Kennedy and writer Richard Dawkins will all take to the hot seat in Gay...

Eilis O'Hanlon: Radio just on the CV rather than deep in the blood 

When Ray D'Arcy returned to RTE at the beginning of February from Today FM, his very first interview on the new show was with Gay Byrne.

Gaybo's media firm has a late, late surge of €550,000 

Ireland's most celebrated broadcaster, Gay Byrne, has left his financial troubles well behind with him with accumulated profits at his media firm last year jumping past the €550,000 mark.

Gaybo pays tribute to the life of road safety champion Gertie (85) 

BROADCASTER Gay Byrne has led tributes to a Dublin woman who spent her life campaigning for stricter laws against drink-driving.

Tributes to road safety champion Gertie (85) 

Broadcaster Gay Byrne has led tributes to the late road safety campaigner Gertie Shields who spent her life fighting for stricter laws against drink-driving.

Gardening expert Diarmuid Gavin: 'Don't let builders leave their mark on your garden' 

There comes a time that every home has the builders in - and over the past month it's been our turn. For gardeners, builders are often the enemy.

Lovely girls... 1960s Ireland was still hostile for women 

The Sixties might have been swinging everywhere from London to San Francisco, but Ireland was still a hostile place for women... a place where the Catholic church held powerful sway and men...

We think we're great, or do we? 

If Irish national self-esteem was a racehorse, it would have been subject to a Turf Club inquiry by now. The oscillations in form seem simply too severe to be genuine. Our feelings about ourselves as a nation mirror the mood swings produced by over-indulgence in the country's favourite stimulant.

Will RTE ever fill the hole left by Gay Byrne? 

Think of it as the awkward moment when you're drafted in as holiday cover for another broadcaster, only for that chap to be abruptly removed from the slot he's held for five years.

Crooner Val fondly recalled by stars 

Val Doonican's soothing vocals, gentle repartee and penchant for eye-catching pullovers were remembered with fondness yesterday following the news of his death.

It's time to pull the plug on our tired old talk shows 

Everything has a sell-by date, including talk shows. Now that 'The Late Late Show' and 'The Saturday Night Show' are on their summer break, could this be made permanent?

Gaybo was right - this is about women and sex 

Gay Byrne, as he often does, got straight to the nub of the issue. "This has to do with sex specifically," he said, "and there's a feeling that these girls are getting away with something,...

All aboard the merry month of June 

I think you have to be a bit mad to be in this business as you never know what's around the corner," says comedian June Rodgers, who is preparing to go on a nationwide tour. "I'm lucky as I've met amazing people who liked my comedy and helped me along the way, like Gay Byrne,...

Mulcahy: 'Come back Paddy Reilly and marry James Duff' 

Gay Byrne has been knocking it out of the park again this week with his witty one-liners.

Mulcahy: 'In with the old and out with the new' 

Gay Byrne was unimpressed at the Ifta awards when one rookie reporter continued to interrupt him while he was talking to the press on the red carpet.

Picture: Gay Byrne and wife Kathleen step out in adorable matching outfits 

Gay Byrne and his wife of over fifty years looked like the picture perfect couple as they posed on the red carpet last night.

Letters to 'The Gay Byrne Show' in 1990 reveal a country opposed to discussion of homosexuality, never mind equality 

'It must be proved that a man or woman is drunk before they can be arrested," wrote one Irish...

'He was a real gentleman' - Rose of Tralee remembers Derek Davis 

THE 1995 Rose of Tralee has paid tribute to Derek Davis, who died on Wednesday, describing him as a "truly uplifting" and "generous professional".

Michael O'Doherty: 'He's starting a new role on a new network, but Pat Kenny's ego is utterly admonished' 

Today is D-Day for Pat Kenny and UTV Ireland - because nine months after he was first announced as the star of the new station we are finally...

The straight man... Pat Kenny 

Within minutes of sitting down with Pat Kenny for what is supposed to be an in-depth, face-to-face interview with the broadcaster ahead of his new UTV Ireland show, he's calling the shots.

High heels and hailstones on a chilly day at the Punchestown Festival 

High heels and hailstones do not a happy marriage make. But that didn't seem to deter the chic ladies attending the second day of the Punchestown Racing Festival.

The Diary: Gay returns to Howth for pal John's exhibition 

Gaybo didn't need to be asked twice to head back to Howth to launch a photographic exhibition by his good pal, John McColgan of Riverdance fame whose 'Howth Horizons' show was a major success last...

Gay Byrne on Donegal: I refused to buy holiday home in Donegal five times before finally giving in 

BROADCASTER Gay Byrne has revealed how he refused to buy a holiday home in Donegal five times before “finally giving in”.

Top 7 quotes and covers from 900 issues of Irish music mag Hot Press 

Irish music magazine Hot Press has just released its landmark 900th issue and to celebrate it's taking a look back over almost 38 years of controversial covers and, particularly in hindsight, some...

'Late Late Show' takes on the world as RTE launches new app 

Expatriates missing the drama of Carrigstown or Ryan Tubridy's late-night offerings will now be able to catch up with their favourite shows on RTE's International Player App.

Mulcahy: Veteran broadcaster Byrne in good spirits 

Veteran broadcaster Gay Byrne (80) was in good spirits when attending the launch of The Diageo Guinness World 1 Archive Exhibition.

Gaybo and the €20m deal 

Former Late Late Show host Gay Byrne has emerged as a beneficiary of a major office block deal in the IFSC.

Walk behind Di's coffin still haunts me in my sleep - Earl 

It's been 18 years since the tragic death of Princess Diana, but her younger brother Earl Charles Spencer is one man still gripped by the trauma of her funeral.

'Christian Brothers beat the shit out of me, time someone stood up to them!' - Stephen Fry reveals reactions to Meaning of Life... 

Stephen Fry has revealed he was in "complete shock" over his 'Meaning of Life' interview with...

Brewery was a 'safe haven' for WWI troops 

Gay Byrne described the Guinness Brewery and St James's Gate as a "safe haven" for shell-shocked returning WWI soldiers.

God, a comic, a convert, the bishop, the nightie and brainwashed Gaybo 

George Hook went into hospital with kneehilism and came out a reborn member of the Roman Church. Stephen Fry went on 'The Meaning of Life' an...

It's a long way from old pro Gay to cliched Ray 

Having Gay Byrne as the first major guest was an intriguing statement of intent as Ray D'Arcy returned to the airwaves last week after unexpectedly dumping Today FM and getting...

Gay Byrne gives an interview masterclass 

The Meaning of Life with Gay Byrne (RTE1). OCD and ME (RTE1). Abortion: Ireland's Guilty Secret (BBC3).

Great Irish minds ponder Fry's argument on God's existence 

On a recent episode of The Meaning of Life on RTE One, presented by Gay Byrne, Stephen Fry responded to the question of what he might say to God at the pearly gates. "How dare you create a world in which there is such misery? It's not our fault. It's not right. It's utterly, utterly evil. Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid God who creates a world which is so full of injustice and pain?" The video has since been watched over five million times on YouTube. Here are some other reflections on the great...

Gay Byrne: Me, Stephen Fry and the meaning of life 

I was not in the least surprised by what Stephen Fry had to say about God on The Meaning of Life, because Stephen is an atheist. He was just a little more passionate and committed and strong...

My seven-year-old son said God couldn't exist because of Hitler 

Last year my favourite word was "authentic". I liked "authentic" people, even if I disagreed with them. My new favourite word is "binary": I've diagnosed it's the reason behind the rot of public...

Fry is the real monster in our eyes, not God 

Not having seen the live broadcast of Gay Byrne's Meaning of Life interview with the English National Treasure Stephen Fry, I was under the impression that the man of keen wit and effortless...

If you do one thing this week... Adore Audrey 

Have you yet to plan Valentine's Day? The Pavilion Theatre in Dun Laoghaire is screening a romantic double bill next Saturday, February 14, with the comedy Breakfast at Tiffany's, starring Audrey...

Over five million reasons why Uncle Gaybo is bemused 

Videos going viral are nothing new, but the speed and scale of how Stephen Fry's "God" comments spread this week were still remarkable. The actor made his caustic - though far from unique -...

Why I just can't believe in Stephen Fry's ill-considered atheist outburst 

At the last count, it had five million views on YouTube, and that's in the space of a week. I'm referring to a clip from an interview Gay Byrne conducted with Stephen Fry on the RTE show,...

Presbyterian Church leader claims Stephen Fry is 'spiritually blind' 

The incoming head of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland has accused Stephen Fry of spiritual blindness.

Refusal to pay water charges goes against spirit of democracy 

Several members of the Oireachtas, including Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald, a member of the Public Accounts Committee, have publicly boasted that they will not pay water charges.

Ray D'Arcy admits to 'odd day' as he returns home to Radio 1 

Ray D'Arcy has admitted it was an "odd day" to be returning to RTE for his first show on Radio 1.

Without belief in a deity, we’re left to face a bleaker reality 

Stephen Fry's recent interview with Gay Byrne raised issues with which many thinking people, especially those of us who were born in the 1940s and who have lost God, have been grappling.

Best bits from when Fry met Gaybo 

Last night RTE finally aired its interview with Stephen Fry as part of Gay Byrne’s The Meaning of Life series.

Gay Byrne responds to reaction to Stephen Fry's views on God on 'The Meaning of Life' 

Legendary broadcaster Gay Byrne is unfazed by the fact that Stephen Fry's response to his question about God on 'The Meaning of Life' has gone...

The meaning of life wasn't always too clear this week 

In The Meaning of Life (RTÉ1), bestselling author Cecelia Ahern told Gay Byrne that she was "very spiritual" rather than conventionally religious and that her view of God was not as some bearded...

WATCH: Stephen Fry has some tough words for God in interview with Gay Byrne 

Legendary broadcaster Gay Byrne interviews fellow legendary broadcaster Stephen Fry for his 'Meaning of Life' series.

Exhibit tells real-life stories of our Great War soldiers 

A NEW exhibition delves into the personal tales of the Irish men and women who went off to join in the Great War efforts.

Docklands dinner and a slice of Gay Byrne's cake 

Occasionally, on a Thursday, after I've done my half hour with Sean Moncrieff on Newstalk, I go to visit my pal Harry Crosbie for my tea. Harry likes to keep posh tea, so I get to drink Lapsang...

Documentary on porn calls for a new approach 

RTE screened pornographic images last week, but the media paid more attention to the launch of Ulster Television's new Irish news programme. RTE will talk porn again tomorrow night.

County has just 25 traffic officers for 6,500km of road 

POLICING the rural roads of Ireland poses a dramatically different challenge to the city streets.

'Tis the season to be grouchy, if you're Gaybo 

Gaybo's first job as a broadcaster was presenting Jazz Corner on Radio Eireann. Now he's come full circle with the "old, ancient, decrepit time warp" - his words - that is Lyric FM's Sunday With Gay...