Former journalist and campaigner Charlie Bird has been remembered as a “wonderful father, gorgeous husband, friend and brilliant reporter” at a celebration of his life in Dublin.
Family, pals and colleagues packed into the Round Room of the Mansion House the place tributes had been paid to him by his spouse, and two daughters, in addition to his grandchildren and former colleagues and pals.
Members of the general public additionally attended the service for the famend broadcaster who died this week aged 74 after a high-profile battle with motor neurone illness.
Mr Bird’s stays had been carried in a wicker coffin into the building adopted by his loyal canine Tiger and household simply after noon because the Clew Bay Pipe Band carried out the arrival music.
More than a thousand folks sat and listened all through the poignant hour-and-a-half service, which was hosted by former RTÉ correspondent Joe O’Brien.
Past and current RTÉ workers and administration had been in attendance together with Sean O’Rourke, Joe Duffy, Eileen Whelan, and Kevin Backhurst.
In a transferring reflection on her life for the previous 19-years with the person she referred to as “Bird”, his spouse Claire Mould stated her husband confirmed “so much courage” all through his battle with Motor Neuron illness.
“This has truly been a very special send-off for my gorgeous husband Charlie, or Bird as I’ve always called him,” she stated.
“Charlie always told me to speak from the heart, but when you’re heartbroken it’s very difficult.”
As she started talking to the gang, the couple’s canine Tiger began to whimper loudly, and Claire invited him onto the stage the place she held him in her arms as she delivered a transferring tribute.
“Listening to everyone’s stories today, about Charlie, as you can hear by my voice, I’m very emotional about it” she continued.
“Hearing about his achievements, his friendships I know he had such great friends. They kept him strong.
Speaking directly to his two daughters Orla and Neasa Bird, she said: “We have been through so much and I really appreciate your love and support. I couldn’t have got through the last week without you both.
“I know how much your dad loved you. When Charlie was diagnosed with MND all I wanted to do was look after him, it was an absolute privilege, to do that. He showed so much courage”.
She added: “What made me fall in love with Bird was his zest for all times. There was by no means a boring second whenever you had been with him.
“He all the time liked being the centre of consideration, liked all of the craic.
She additionally thanked Charlie’s grandchildren, Charlie, Harriet, Hugo, Abigal, and Edward who all learn prayers on the service.
They additionally placed particular mementos from his life on the stage which included rosary beads given to him by his good friend and musician Daniel O’Connell, which will probably be buried with him on Inisherin.
Hugo introduced up Charlie’s workers, which he used throughout his climb on Croagh Patrick two years in the past.
Abigail carried a Bruce Springsteen e-book and a hand-painted postcard by Joe Duffy.
Harriet offered two biographies from Charlie’s life and Edward gave up {a photograph} of Charlie with all of his grandchildren.
Mr Bird’s daughters described how tough it was to observe him battle his sickness in public slightly than do it privately.
Orla Bird stated they lived a “charmed” life rising up in Bray, Co Wicklow, and in the course of it, “there was a rare profession.” She stated her father would typically obtain phonecalls from work earlier than packing a bag and operating out the door.
“We would see him on the news later and know where he was. The news was a permanent fixture of his life.” She stated as we speak, she needed to recollect household life.
“We were marched on walks every Sunday since before we were born” and that they had been a “non-negotiable family fixture”.
Orla’s sister Neasa informed the congregation: “We were loved, and we knew we were loved, and you can’t ask for more than that”.
She continued: “It is no understatement to say that MND was Dad’s worst fear realised. He knew in his bones before anyone else, and he was devastated, and he was afraid.
“Watching Dad grappling with that was heartbreaking, and as we frankly admitted to him on more than one occasion, all the more difficult for the public way he chose to deal with it.
“But that was Dad’s way and as much as we might have wanted to retreat with him to a more private space in the last few years, the tenacity of his spirit and the perseverance which saw Dad achieve so much, meant that he was always going to do it his way.
“In doing so he inspired and gave solace to countless others and that is no small thing, rather it is a great thing.”
She described how on her father’s “penultimate day on this earth, Dad typed out a final message”.
“It was one about courage,” she stated. “Particularly that his braveness would falter, I’ll by no means, and I do know Orla and Clarie will always remember the second that message got here collectively and after we realised what dad was saying.
“But Dad’s braveness didn’t falter as a result of his braveness, his wonderful bravery, and finally his legacy is the way in which he confirmed us all that it’s okay to despair, it’s okay to be afraid, it’s human to be offended when handled a hand like MND, it’s okay in spite of everything of that, or extra precisely within the midst of all of that, there may be nonetheless objective, there may be nonetheless pleasure and there may be nonetheless hope.
“But Dad’s braveness didn’t falter as a result of his braveness, his wonderful bravery and, finally, his legacy is the way in which that he confirmed us all that it’s okay to despair.
“There are nonetheless good days available whenever you create reminiscences with your loved ones, whenever you chuckle with your mates, whenever you walk the canine.
“There are still good days to be had when you have a pint of Guinness, when you listen to the news all day every day, and row about current affairs, when you sit in your beautiful garden and when you sit close to your house.
“And in Dad’s case, there are still amazing days when you drag half the country up a mountain, and ultimately even when those days come to a close, there is still love, love that will surround and be with you always, that is the legacy I know dad with hope, courage, purpose and determination”.
Antoinette Keegan, a survivor of the Stardust catastrophe which noticed 48 folks killed in a hearth at a disco on Valentine’s night time in 1981 stated Mr Bird was first to report on the scene and by no means stopped supporting the households.
She described how despite the fact that he was gravely sick, each he and his spouse Claire turned up on the forty third memorial service for the victims in February.
Ms Keegan described Charlie as “their hero” and the way he could be “deeply missed” by her and the Stardust households.
His former colleague and former RTÉ presenter Sean O’Rourke recalled the tales he lined together with “the politician who got his house painted for free, the first IRA ceasefire, epic trips to the Arctic and Antarctic, the showjumping horse that failed a doping test, dodgy slot machines in Donegal and Charlie tracking down a well-known banker in Boston”.
“When I think about RTÉ, I think about you,” he stated. “Your integrity and dedication and all you achieved for the people of Ireland, you set high standards for yourself and the rest of us, and those standards endure and will endure.
“It was an honour and a privilege to work with you and to be your good friend. You were the real deal. May you rest in peace.”
Bruce Springsteen’s track “Land of Hope and Dreams” was performed as movies of Charlie had been streamed on a big display screen within the spherical room and the service concluded with Kevin Conneff’s model of ‘A Parting Glass’.
