‘Bill was the catalyst for all that was good on the panel’
Ireland is coming to terms with the peaceful passing, this morning, of sports journalist and broadcaster Bill O’Herlihy.
While Irish footballing legends such as Paul McGrath and John Giles have already paid tribute to the Cork native, who passed away at the age of 76, RTE Radio One invited his long-time friend and colleague Eamon Dunphy on to discuss the man and his legacy.
A crestfallen Dunphy described O’Herlihy as an upbeat character and the driver of all things good in the RTE football panel.
He said, ‘The core of good journalism is making people engage with the subject… you render it human.’
Dunphy believes there was no better presenter to portray the contradictions between the guests on the panel and ‘sometimes make them very, very angry’.
The pair recently met at an Italia 90 commemorative event at the Aviva Stadium and the former Irish footballer remarked that O’Herlihy was still the live and soul of the party.
As the radio segment wrapped up, Dunphy tearfully broke down as he described O’Herlihy as ‘a fabulous man, husband, father and broadcaster’.
