A service to celebrate Charlie Bird’s life will be held in Dublin tomorrow, Thursday, as tributes continue to pour in for the popular broadcaster and campaigner.
The former RTÉ broadcaster passed away on Monday, aged 74, following a long battle with motor neurone disease.
His media career of nearly 40 years saw him promoted to RTÉ’s Chief News Correspondent as he covered some of the biggest stories both at home and abroad.
Following his MND diagnosis in 2021, he dedicated his time to raising awareness of the illness and raised more than €3.6m for the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association and mental health charity Pieta House through his Croagh Patrick hike, Climb with Charlie.
“I am richer because of the short friendship we had. He truly was an inspiration,” said Daniel O’Donnell yesterday.
“Charlie was a truly remarkable man driven by a deep sense of social justice in the most positive sense,” said a tribute from President Michael D Higgins.
“The dignity, strength, hope and inspiration with which Charlie carried the burden of his illness was remarkable. In a way that was truly extraordinary, Charlie redefined our collective perspective on the illness of Motor Neurone Disease and terminal illness more generally.”
A service to celebrate his life will be held at 12 noon on Thursday, March 14th in the Round Room of Dublin’s Mansion House.
His death notice says he will be “sadly missed by his beloved wife, Claire, loving daughters Orla and Neasa, little wingman Tiger, his sons-in-law Rob and Aidan, adored grandchildren Charlie, Hugo, Abigail, Harriet and Edward, his extended family, former colleagues and a wide circle of friends both at home and abroad”.
Mr Bird’s family has asked for donations, if desired, to Wicklow Hospice.
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