Charlie Bird “adorned public service broadcasting” with his integrity, sincerity, fairness as an “ordinary man with an extraordinary ability to connect with people”, his funeral service on Thursday heard.
The late journalist, author, broadcaster and charity campaigner, who died on Monday aged 74, was remembered too as a father and grandfather whose diagnosis with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2021 was his “worst fear realised”.
His funeral in Dublin’s Mansion House was attended by dozens of former colleagues from RTÉ including broadcasters Miriam O’Callaghan, Áine Lawlor, Joe Duffy, George Lee, David McCullagh, David Murphy and Samantha Libreri and director general of RTÉ Kevin Bakhurst, as well as figures from across public life.
Daughters Orla and Neasa Bird recalled their “fairly charmed life” growing up in Bray with him and their late mother Mary O’Connor.
“The news was a permanent fixture in our home,” said Orla. “Dad was always flying off here and there to cover the latest disaster or news story. The phone would ring in our house any time day or night ... Dad would hurriedly throw stuff in a bag, fly out the door with his coat blazing behind him. The next time we would see him he would be on the TV and then we would know where he was.
“Mum would pick up the pieces and keep our normal and charmed existence on an even keel until he returned as he had left, crashing in the door full of news of his latest adventure.”
She recalled “non-negotiable” family walks every Sunday and “happy and carefree holidays” camping in France.
Neasa noted: “Dad wore his heart on his sleeve. It is no overstatement to say that MND was dad’s worst fear realised. He knew in his bones before anyone else and he was devastated and afraid. Watching dad grappling with that was heartbreaking ... and all the more difficult for the very public way he chose to deal with it.
“But that was dad’s way ... the tenacity of spirit and the perseverance that saw him achieve so much meant he was always going to do it his way,” she said. “The countless messages of love and good will are an incredible testament to all the good that dad did.”
Journalist Dympna Moroney said there was “never a dull moment” with Mr Bird.
Working with him meant being in “many a tight spot”. She recalled being on a story with him only to go to another where he had to meet “someone savoury” in a car park.
He got out of the car saying: “If I am not back in 20 minutes first ring the newsroom and then ring the guards”, she said.
Former broadcaster Sean O’Rourke described Mr Bird as “a great journalist and even more so, a great human being”.
“Orla and Neasa, thank you for sharing your dad with the nation in your younger days,” he said.
“Integrity, sincerity and fairness characterised everything Charlie did as a reporter ... It would be wrong to see him as a campaigning journalist. Above all he was a reporter., a special reporter. What mattered was the story and getting it right,” said Mr O’Rourke.
“He was in so many ways an ordinary man with an extraordinary ability to connect with people, to win their confidence and get them talking.. with charm and a bit of mischief too ... He just loved being in the thick of it.”
Noting his work from stories across the world, as well as on road deaths, banking scandals and the IRA ceasefire in 1994, Mr O’Rourke recalled the stress Mr Bird had been under during a long-running libel trial against him and RTÉ in 2004.
“After it ended we were walking together from the Four Courts across Grattan Bridge and news broke on the radio that Charlie had won, that RTÉ had won. Charlie was greeted with honking horns and thumbs up signals from the drivers. RTE’s chief news correspondent was more than that. The people’s correspondent.”
“Charles Bird, you adorned public service broadcasting,” he said. “When I think of RTÉ I think of what you integrity and dedication achieve for the people of Ireland. You set high standards for yourself and the rest of us and those standards endure and will endure .. You were the real deal.”
Survivor of the 1981 Stardust fire Antoinette Keegan said Mr Bird had covered the disaster from the day after it happened and had been with the bereaved families through their 43-year campaign for justice.
“We had so many let downs by governments and officials ... I will always recall Charlie’s words ... He stood tall for justice and said simple things like, ‘Never give up’ ‘Keep fighting’. Charlie’s words were strong.”
She described as “beyond belief” that on February 10th, “as sick as Charlie was, both he and Claire made their way in a wheelchair taxi” from their home in Wicklow to be with the families in Artane at “the site of the Stardust disaster” for the 42nd annual remembrance vigil.
Karl Hayden and LGBT rights activist recalled his work in the 2015 Yes campaign in the marriage equality referendum.
Finally, Mr Bird’s wife Claire Mould said her husband always told her to speak from the heart. “But when you’re heartbroken, it’s very difficult task.”
As she began to speak, Mr Bird’s dog Tiger whined from where he was sitting, and ran to join her at the lectern.
“What made me fall in love with Bird was his zest for life,” she said. “There was never a dull moment when you were with him. He loved all the craic. We travelled the world and he was always looking for adventure and we had many. But he also loved being home in Wicklow, walking the hills with myself and Tiger, drinking pints of Guinness and eating roast chicken.”
Others who spoke included former RTÉ colleagues and friends Joe O’Brien, Ed Mulhall and Ray Burke and Lt General Sean Clancy, chief of staff of the Defence Forces.
Music was provided the Clew Bay Pipe Band and Bird’s remains were blessed by Fr Charlie McDonnell. Prayers were recited by Bird’s grandchildren, Charlie, Hugo and Harriet O’Dowd, Edward and Abigail Redmond, and by Ms Mould’s nephew Luke Mould.
President Michael D Higgins was represented by his aide de camp Col Stephen Howard and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar by his ADC Commandant Myles Kelleher.
Also in attendance were former President Mary Robinson, journalists Eileen Dunne, Joe Little, Fran McNulty, David Murphy, George Lee, Richard Downes and Mick Clifford, newly-appointed chair of the RTÉ board Terence O’Rourke, author Kathleen McMahon, chair of NUJ Dublin broadcasting branch Emma O’Kelly, NUJ Irish secretary Seamus Dooley, TDs Aodhan Ó Riordain and Timmy Dooley, human rights solicitor Michael Farrell, families of Stardust victims, and former press ombudsman John Horgan.
Mr Bird’s remains will be buried on Inis Oírr, Co Galway.
