From his first project, the tragic Stardust fireplace, to changing into the IRA’s media level of contact all through the Troubles, the previous RTÉ Chief News Correspondent was on the centre of all of it.
Here are a number of the crowning moments that cemented his legendary standing in Irish TV historical past.
David Drumm
One story he’s particularly remembered for is monitoring down disgraced former Anglo Irish Bank chief government David Drumm to a €4.2m home in Cape Cod in March 2010.
His report exhibits him walking as much as the door, knocking on it and peering by the glass.
“Why are you ducking down?” Bird questioned Drumm.
“Have a bit of respect, Charlie, I’ve got my family here,” was Drumm’s reply from a crouched position, earlier than ordering the snooping Bird to “leave now”.
IRA
Throughout the Troubles in Northern Ireland, Bird turned the one level of contact between the Provisional IRA and RTÉ and infrequently knew about breaking developments earlier than gardaí or Government.
For a lot of the Nineties, Bird met with an middleman and was pushed to unknown areas north and south of the border, for unique updates from the paramilitary group throughout its marketing campaign of terror.
On August 31, 1994, the IRA declared a “complete cessation” of violence after Bird was handed a replica of a cassette tape together with the IRA’s assertion, which he duly learn for his stories from a pay telephone in Dublin.
Charlie Bird Arctic journey
Nelson Mandela
Reflecting again on his largest tales final 12 months, Bird stated he was “watching one of the greatest moments in modern history” when he was in South Africa to witness the Nelson Mandela vote in 1994.
The South African apartheid prisoner solid his first vote, following 27 years behind bars.
Despite being informed that Mr Mandela wouldn’t be talking to the media, Bird, in customary daring trend, fired a query over the barrier because the quickly to be first-ever black president entered the polling station.
“What would you say to the world about this day?” Bird requested.
“This is a historic day. It is a day for which our people have struggled over decades. It is the realisation of our hopes and dreams. It is an unforgettable moment,” Mandela responded.
Stardust
One of his very first assignments as a roving-RTÉ reporter, having graduated from the broadcaster’s analysis room, was the tragic 1981 nightclub fireplace in Artane, Dublin.
The devastating fireplace on the eve of Valentine’s Day 1981, ripped by the Stardust Ballroom, killing 48 folks and critically injuring an additional 128.
The subsequent day, a young Charlie Bird sat down with Teresa Marley, assistant catering supervisor on the Stardust and her daughter Liz Marley, additionally a Stardust worker.
They denied that the hearth was began intentionally and gave an account of what they noticed on the evening, as the whole nation tuned in following the tragedy.
“Teresa, it is being said that there may have been young people playing with matches and lighting papers beforehand, do you know anything about that?” Bird requested in his first ever RTÉ TV report.
Speaking final 12 months, Bird stated: “As we all know these families are still looking for justice for their loved ones. Now that I am retired, I can speak freely to support them.”
Seals in Antarctica
“I’ve done some difficult things in my life as a journalist, but this must be one of the most remarkable,” Bird stated in 2011 as a seal pup lay on high of him.
The broadcaster was travelling by Antarctica for a RTÉ documentary The Trail of Tom Crean , following the route of explorer Tom Crean’s ultimate expedition alongside Ernest Shackleton aboard the Endurance in 1914-15.
“It is truly truly remarkable,” a chuckling Bird says to the digicam in a state of pleasure and hysterics.
