Updated November 9
Joe.ie has published a lovely tribute to Gay Byrne. Included are a video of some of Gay’s memorable interviews and tweets from a variety of people affected by his passing. Do take a look.
November 6
Many of us who are not fortunate enough to live in Ireland know Gabriel “Gay” Byrne as the man who interviewed our Gabriel a decade ago. And what an interview that was! The original posting for it received more views here than anything I had ever posted. Fans were stunned by the intimacy and the serious tone of their talk together–and that is what it was: a conversation between two friends. Rare and unforgettable. And now we wish we had known Gay Byrne better.
Gabriel “Gay” Byrne died at the age of 85 on November 4 in Howth, just outside Dublin, surrounded by family and held in the hearts of all those who knew and admired and loved him.
A tribute from Our Gabriel
From Clodagh Meaney at Goss.ie:
Irish actor Gabriel Byrne paid tribute to the late Gay Byrne via text message on The Late Late Show.
The show, which usually airs on a Friday, aired a one-off live special on Tuesday night – which saw a host of the broadcaster’s peers pay their respects.
Speaking on the show, Riverdance founder John McColgan shared a text message sent to him by Gabriel Byrne.
“I will always remember him for his kindness and generosity to me over the years.”
“He is absolutely resolute and unselfish in his encouragement, not just of me but so many people starting out in their careers.”
“Over the years I have done all of the major chat shows in the U.S and in Britain and all the famous hosts, but Gay Byrne was the best of them.”
In 2010, Gabriel appeared on Gay’s show “The Meaning of Life” where he discussed his struggle with alcohol and depression.
He also appeared on The Late Late Show with Gay many times throughout the years.
A brief excerpt from their interview on The Meaning of Life:
And below is the complete 2010 interview with the two Gabriels. The quality of this archived video is not the best, but the audio seems fine.
May he rest in peace. Thank you for sharing the interview from The Meaning of Life. Very unique glimpse of both men.