Michael Lyster (Image: Limerick GAA)
Heartfelt tributes have flooded in for Michael Lyster following the passing of the GAA broadcasting icon at the age of 71. Lyster presented The Sunday Game, the GAA’s premier programme on RTE, for 34 years until his retirement in 2018. The Galway native was central to many of the most unforgettable moments on the show, consistently extracting the finest contributions from football analysts such as Joe Brolly, Pat Spillane and Colm O’Rourke, and hurling analysts such as Cyril Farrell and Ger Loughnane.
Spearheading the tributes to Lyster was Taoiseach Micheal Martin, who stated: “Deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Michael Lyster, a moderniser of sports broadcasting. The iconic anchor of The Sunday Game, Michael was synonymous with many outstanding sporting moments, especially in the Olympics and Gaelic games. Condolences to his wife Anne and family.”
Born in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, in 1954, Lyster was the son of a member of the Garda Siochana, with his father relocating to Barnaderg, Co Galway, when Michael was four years old.
He spent the bulk of his formative years in Galway, attending St Jarlath’s College in nearby Tuam. Following employment in the laboratory of the local sugar factory, Lyster’s journalism career commenced at The Tuam Herald, where he penned a music column.
After seven years at the publication, he joined RTE in 1980 as a sports bulletin broadcaster with Radio 2.
He swiftly began presenting sports programmes, covering events such as the Olympic Games and All-Ireland hurling finals. He assumed control of The Sunday Game from Jim Carney in 1984 when the programme underwent a revamp and maintained the presenting position for three decades.
Former Galway hurling manager Cyril Farrell described his former RTE colleague and close friend as the “conductor of the orchestra”.
“Michael was so cool and relaxed coming in,” Farrell said. “Nothing would ever faze him. He’d just take over and lead you the whole time. Broadcasting came very easy to him, and he loved a bit of fun.”
Beyond the GAA, Lyster had a strong passion for motorsport and was a skilled rally driver, having once competed in the Cork International Rally and finishing third.
Journalist Vincent Hogan, a close friend of Lyster’s who frequently served as his navigator in rallies, also paid tribute.
“I knew he was very unwell over the last few months. Anyone who’d been with him in that time would have known how unwell he was, but it still was a shock when you get the news. I’m still struggling to process it, to be honest.
“I always think the phrase ‘less is more’ was what defined Michael. He was a brilliant broadcaster, but he was brilliant because he understood that he wasn’t the star, and he was never meant to be the star. He let conversation flow, and he knew how to tweak a question to get people to react.
After 35 seasons, Michael Lyster has presented his last All-Ireland final for The Sunday Game – we look back at some highlights from his career with the programme and @rte pic.twitter.com/mJqygjqjh0
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) September 2, 2018
“I honestly think his skill was exactly that, to know how to get people to relax in his company.” Lyster’s former RTE colleague Marty Morrissey revealed how the Galway native helped launch his own broadcasting journey.
“Michael was great company and great fun, and I loved his company. The long, long jokes he’d tell were always memorable. I remember his kindness, and I suppose we became friends because, to me, he was the face of the GAA. I wrote to him as a lad from West Clare asking, ‘How do you get into RTE?’
“He said, ‘Come up to Dublin, meet me in the canteen,’ and we went for a coffee. He was very kind, and his advice was, ‘Never give up.’ We became friends out of that, but I hadn’t a clue whether I’d ever get in the door here.
“But Michael was always so positive and so affectionate. He would poke the bear, because his journalistic skills were always there, but he was never the story. He never wanted to be the story.
“He wanted the pundits to display their knowledge, their views and their thoughts. He was loved by the people of Ireland because when the Sunday Game music came on and they saw Michael Lyster, they knew they were in a safe place. And that, in itself, is magic.”
RTE director-general Kevin Bakhurst stated: “I was so sorry to hear of the passing of Michael Lyster today. Michael was an absolute gentleman and a wonderful broadcaster who loved sport in general and Gaelic games in particular.
“On The Sunday Game, Michael was at the heart of RTE’s GAA coverage of so many great games, as well as engaging panel discussions over many years which will live long in the memory.
“Michael’s calm, fair and professional style, along with his great sense of humour and fun, endeared him to so many fans and colleagues alike. My thoughts are with his family and many friends at this sad time. May he rest in peace.”
Lyster’s choice to depart from The Sunday Game stemmed from a succession of health complications. He experienced heart failure in 2012, a mini-stroke in 2013 and a cardiac arrest in 2015.
Speaking prior to the 2018 GAA Championship season, which he revealed would be his final year as presenter, Lyster said: “Following my health scare a few years ago, every day and every year was a bonus.
“That’s the mindset I’ve continued to have, and I feel incredibly lucky to have another season to look forward to at the helm.”
A minute’s silence was observed before Galway’s National Football League fixture against Dublin on Sunday afternoon in honour of the esteemed broadcaster.
Galway football manager Padraic Joyce, who originates from the same region of the county as Lyster, also offered his respects.
“He brought so much joy to every household on a Sunday night. Everyone tuned in to him as he had a great voice. He was a great fellow and he’ll be sadly missed.”
Lyster is survived by his wife of more than 40 years, Anne, and their four children: sons Mark and Jack, and daughters Rebecca and Ellen.