Fallon's Town Talk: Michael Lyster had the elusive broadcasting quality of likeability

Michael Lyster, who died last Sunday at the age of 71, has the elusive quality that is possessed by only the very best television broadcasters: the audience liked and trusted him and felt he was their friend. He was part of the tapestry of our summer Sundays for as long as anyone under-50 can remember.

If he didn’t know it already, the Galway man found out how popular he was with people all over Ireland by the outpouring of affection and support when he suffered a cardiac arrest in 2015. He subsequently became a spokesperson for the Irish Heart Foundation and his stature ensured his advice reached a wide audience.

Michael was one of the presenters of the long-defunct ‘Sports Stadium’, sharing the role with another laid-back host, the late Brendan O’Reilly. However, for generations of Irish people, Michael was the face of ‘The Sunday Game’.

The Galway man and the programme he anchored for a remarkable 34 years will always be inextricably linked. The legendary Micheál O’Hehir famously broadcast on 99 All-Ireland finals between 1938 and 1984 but Lyster was the front man for RTÉ’s coverage of an astonishing 77 All-Irelands from 1984 to 2018. The transition from one distinctive voice to another aptly reflected the changing times.

The world of sports broadcasting underwent several revolutions during the decades Lyster was at the helm but he always adapted and remained unflappable. In a fractured media world, it is hard to see any other broadcaster having such longevity in the future.

Michael was affable and composed; Colm O’Rourke highlighted one of Lyster’s defining characteristics, a trait that has almost gone out of fashion in the modern world: he was polite. It could be argued it was easy to be courteous when the football analysts in his early years were gentlemanly figures such as Dermot Earley and Enda Colleran.

The genial front-man had to deal with different challenges as ‘The Sunday Game’ moved into the 21st century. In the same way that Bill O’Herlihy became synonymous with Johnny Giles, Eamon Dunphy and Liam Brady, Michael was associated with an equally colourful trio: O’Rourke, Pat Spillane and Joe Brolly.

Entertainment and showmanship moved centre-stage, as it did to a lesser extent with the hurling panel, but Lyster was adroit and talented enough to handle strong personalities and the ratings for ‘The Sunday Game’ remained consistently high throughout the decades.

Michael Lyster always came across as someone who knew how to enjoy himself; he took his job seriously but never himself. In 2012 The Better Half and I represented the ‘Roscommon Herald’ at the Camogie Media Awards in the Croke Park Hotel.

Michael was the host and was in his element, regaling the audience with stories and immersing himself in the craic during and after the ceremony. He and former news anchor Eileen Dunne slagged each other about their early days in RTÉ together.

When it came to the turn of the ‘Roscommon Herald’ to receive its award, he reminisced about his time as a reporter in ‘The Tuam Herald’ when he shared court reports with a ‘Roscommon Herald’ counterpart.

I don’t know if the anecdote was off the cuff or rehearsed but the essence of Michael Lyster was he made it seem spontaneous, natural and effortless. That is how he will always be remembered. May he rest in peace.

WHITE HOUSE TRIP 

The sigh of relief was almost audible across the Atlantic when Michéal Martin emerged unscathed from his St. Patrick’s Day meeting with Donald Trump in The White House. The Taoiseach and the Irish delegation were glad Ireland isn’t a member of NATO as Trump berated the organisation for its lack of support of the US/Israeli attack on Iran.

However, when he managed to have his say, Martin did defend Europe and, in an unlikely twist, the British prime minister, Keir Starmer against Trump’s caustic criticism. That he did so in a manner which didn’t agitate the US president was an achievement.

The Washington visit was one of Martin’s best days in his troubled second term as Taoiseach.

The Taoiseach won’t get much credit for it, especially as he and his government grapple with the soaring prices for petrol and home heating oil which are a direct consequence of the war in Iran. Action is expected today (Tuesday) to help beleaguered motorists but the public will be quick to let their public representatives know if it isn’t enough.

In time, Martin’s performance may be judged more positively, especially, as is possible, it was his last time to attend the St. Patrick’s Day ceremonies in Washington.