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Tributes paid to former Sunday Game presenter Michael Lyster

News imageGetty Images A man with short grey hair stands with his right arm resting on a large silver bowl trophy, with red and navy ribbons around the trophy's handles. Behind him is a large empty stadium with a large green pitch in the centre. The man is wearing a black suit, white shirt and yellow tie. Getty Images
Michael Lyster retired as an RTÉ presenter in 2018

One of RTÉ Sport's best-known broadcasters Michael Lyster has died. He was 71.

Having joined RTÉ in 1979, Lyster was best known for presenting The Sunday Game Live for more than 30 years.

He retired from The Sunday Game in 2018 after presenting coverage of the All-Ireland Gaelic football final between Dublin and Tyrone.

The Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) is among those to have paid tribute to the late broadcaster.

Having started his career at The Tuam Herald in County Galway, it was in 1980 that Lyster joined RTÉ as a sports bulletin broadcaster with its Radio 2 programme.

In his first year at RTÉ he also covered the Olympic Games in Moscow.

It was in 1984 that he began presenting The Sunday Game.

Additionally, Lyster presented a range of other sports programmes for RTÉ, including horse racing, athletics, rugby, football, motorsport and greyhound racing.

Lyster was also known to have had a huge interest in rally driving, once taking part in the Cork International Rally and finishing third.

News imageGetty Images A short-grey haired man wears a navy suit, white shirt and pink tie. He speaks into a black TV camera, which is being held by a shirt-grey haired man in a navy t-shirt, wearing a headset. Beside the man in the navy suit is a silver trophy with white and maroon ribbons wrapped around its handle. A bald man in a blue suit and a short-brown haired man in an orange shirt look on from behind the camera. There are rows of empty blue seats behind them all. Getty Images
Michael Lyster before his last senior hurling final as host of The Sunday Game

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was "deeply saddened to learn of the passing" calling Lyster "a moderniser of sport broadcasting".

Describing him as an "iconic anchor", the taoiseach said "Michael was synonymous with many outstanding sporting moments, especially in the Olympics and Gaelic games".

'Heart' of The Sunday Game

RTÉ's director general Kevin Bakhurst described Lyster as "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 RTÉ's GAA coverage of so many great games, as well as engaging panel discussions over many years which will live long in the memory," he said.

Declan McBennett, group head of RTÉ Sport, added that Lyster was "always calm, measured and the consummate professional".

He said Lyster "managed and guided the panels across the biggest days in the GAA calendar with poise and grace."