Former journalist and campaigner Charlie Bird has been remembered as a “hero and a legend” who was “brave beyond words” at a service to celebrate his life.
Family, friends and ex-colleagues of the former RTÉ correspondent gathered in Dublin’s Mansion House to remember and pay tribute to the renowned broadcaster.
Members of the public also attended the service for the 74-year-old, who died this week after a high-profile battle with motor neurone disease (MND).
His wife Claire told those gathered that she was “heartbroken” at his death and that it was an “absolute privilege” to look after him during his illness.
She brought Bird’s beloved dog Tiger on stage while she shared her memories of their life together.
“What made me fall in love with Bird was his zest for life. There was never a dull moment when you were with him,” she said.
“He always loved being the centre of attention, loved all the craic.
“I love you Bird, I’m going to miss you so much.”
She said they loved being at home in Co Wicklow, walking the hills with their dog and drinking pints of Guinness.
She also paid tribute to Bird’s daughters, Orla and Neasa, saying she would not have been able to get through the past week without them.
The veteran news reporter, who covered many of the biggest stories in Ireland and abroad over a long and varied career, had been vocal about his terminal diagnosis and continued to champion charitable and social justice causes despite his deteriorating condition.
Members of the broadcaster’s family, including Tiger, walked behind his coffin as it was carried into the building ahead of the memorial event.
Bird’s friend and former RTÉ colleague Joe O’Brien told the memorial service the broadcaster had often been described as an “inspiration and a national treasure”.
“He was literally a household name; loved and respected throughout the country,” O’Brien said.
“And in his last three years he moved, as Charlie himself said, from being a well-known journalist to being hailed as a heroic and tireless fundraiser and campaigner.
“Over recent days, there has been an outpouring of grief for Charlie but, of course, it is his family who are feeling his loss most.
“Our hearts go out this afternoon to his beautiful wife Claire, who has been at Charlie’s side, especially every day of his three-year battle with motor neurone disease. We think also of Charlie’s loyal companion Tiger.
“Our hearts also go out to Charlie’s loving daughters, Orla and Neasa, who are devoted to their father and to Charlie’s grandchildren: Charlie, Hugo, Harriet, Abigail and Edward.”
O’Brien also said that his friend had his own “dynamic style of reporting”.
“Audiences grew to admire and respect the clarity and forcefulness of this delivery,” he said.
“And, as the years went by, Charlie became Charlie, the Charlie we know.
“When I think of Charlie, I think of his boundless energy and his nose for news.”
Bird’s daughter Orla told the memorial service about life growing up in Bray.
“In the middle of this very ordinary, if charmed, family life there was an extraordinary career,” she said.
“It’s almost impossible to know where family life ended and career started because it was such a big part of all of our lives. The news was a permanent fixture in our home. So, the two were closely intertwined.
“Today, though, we think back on the family memories, the walks every Sunday that we were marched on from as long as I can remember and since we could walk, even before carried on a pouch on dad’s back. These Sunday walks were a non-negotiable family activity that continued, much to our horror, into our teenage years.”
Bird’s daughter recalled the letters he would send her when she spent time in the United States, with each one signed off “keep smiling”.
She spoke of his hectic working life that involved continually leaving home at short notice to cover a major news event at home or abroad.
“The next time we would see him he would be on TV and then you would know where he was, that was just a norm,” she said.
She said the family home was Bird’s “safe place to fly from and a safe place to return”.
Bird’s youngest daughter, Neasa, said that her father’s motor neurone disease diagnosis was his “worst fear realised” and said he was “devastated and 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 very public way he chose to deal with it,” she said.
“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 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 very great thing.”
She said on the day before he died, Bird “painstakingly typed out a final message” about courage and a fear that his courage would falter.
“But Dad’s courage did not falter because his courage, his amazing bravery and, ultimately, his legacy is the way that he showed us all that it is OK to despair.
“It is OK to be afraid. It is human to be angry when dealt with a hand like MND. It is OK because as he also showed us, after all of that, or more accurately in the midst of all of that, there is still purpose, there is still joy, and there is still hope.”
The journalist’s five grandchildren brought mementoes reflecting his life, including rosary beads he was given by singer Daniel O’Donnell.
The beads will be buried with him on Inis Oirr on the Aran Islands, along with the staff he used to climb Croagh Patrick in 2022.
The children also presented a Bruce Springsteen book, two biographies of Bird’s life and a family photograph.
Stardust fire campaigner Antoinette Keegan said she was “truly very saddened” when she heard he had died.
Bird was a long-time supporter of the families of those who died in the fire at the Stardust nightclub in Dublin in 1981, having covered the story as a reporter at the time.
Ms Keegan survived the blaze but her two sisters died.
She said Bird had got to know those involved in the Stardust tragedy and became close to her family.
Describing him as “a gentleman” and “a brilliant journalist”, Ms Keegan said he was supportive of all those affected by injustice and “the one that hit him the hardest was the Stardust”.
“Over the years in our campaigns fighting for truth and justice, we’ve had so many let-downs by governments and officials. Each time we thought we were going to get justice for our loved ones, we were left with a huge, big disappointment,” she added.
“I will always recall Charlie’s words. He was always so supportive, stood tall for injustice and would say simple words like ‘never give up’. ‘Keep fighting and one day you will get the answer you waited so long for’.”
She said that despite being very ill, Bird and his wife Claire attended a candlelight vigil on February 10 at the site of the Stardust tragedy.
“Rest in peace Charlie, you are our hero and a legend that will never, ever be forgotten.”
Former RTÉ radio presenter Sean O’Rourke said that he was a “great journalist, human being and a real warrior”.
“Integrity, sincerity and fairness characterised everything Charlie did as a reporter and correspondent,” he added.
“He went literally to the ends of the earth in pursuit of the news. And long before the term was invented, he was never going to go down the road of fake news.
“With him, it was the real deal or no deal. Yes, he had a social conscience and he shone the light into some very dark places, but I think it would be wrong to see him as a campaigning journalist.
“Above all, he was a reporter. What mattered was the story and getting it right.
“He left his political activism behind him after joining RTÉ and he lived by the requirements of the Broadcasting Act, to be objective, impartial, and fair to all interests.”
RTÉ news presenter Bryan Dobson and current affairs presenter Miriam O’Callaghan were among those who attended the Mansion House for the service.
The director general of the public service broadcaster, Kevin Bakhurst, also attended, as well as former president Mary Robinson.
Bird’s favourite song Land Of Hope And Dreams by Bruce Springsteen was played at the end of the ceremony.
