Gay Byrne did not create a new Ireland, but he was instrumental in mediating the change from insular and conservative to open and liberal. Gay Byrne did not create a new Ireland, but he was instrumental in mediating the change from insular and conservative to open and liberal. Discussing the death of Mr Byrne with my mother on Monday evening, she told me: "Gay saved my sanity." Byrne was the perfect facilitator of this cathartic national conversation because he didn't patronise his guests or his listeners. His bosses in RTÉ may have worried about controversial segments upsetting clergy members or politicians, but Byrne felt his audience deserved candid debates that reflected the reality of the world around them.

Source: Irish Independent November 06, 2019 07:18 UTC