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O'Herlihy, left, covered 10 World Cups for RTÉ - including the unforgettable Italia 90 tournament. RTÉ

LISTEN: Eamon Dunphy, Des Cahill and more pay an emotional tribute to Bill O'Herlihy

News of the iconic broadcaster’s death broke shortly before the RTÉ News at One went live on air.

FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES have being paying their respects to Bill O’Herlihy, remembering a “fantastic broadcaster” and a man who was an integral part of some of country’s most iconic sporting moments.

O’Herlihy died unexpectedly, but peacefully, at his home on Monday morning. He was 76.

“He was a fantastic broadcaster and a very, very nice man,” friend and RTÉ panellist Eamon Dunphy said in an emotional tribute on RTÉ News at One.

“A very decent man, and great fun.”

“I think he made a massive contribution to the happiness and understanding of sport, to the happiness people derived from sport, for all the Olympic Games, all the World Cups, and all the great soccer occasions that he presided over.

He was by far the most important person on that soccer panel. He was the catalyst for all that was good about it.


RTĖ Sport / SoundCloud

RTÉ colleague Des Cahill said that O’Herlihy has “a unique thing that will always be there for his children and for his grandchildren.

“Bill O’Herlihy led our greatest days — they mightn’t have been the most important days but our greatest days. The days of Olympic medals and World Cups, the memories.

They all seemed to be sunny days when the whole country would stop and join together, and they’d hope together, they’d be scared together. They’d share excitement together and we’d share disappointment.

“Sometimes we had that unforgettable joy of victory that we all shared together and Bill O’Herlihy led the whole country in that. We all sat and gathered, and Bill led us on those days. We’ll always remember that.”

“Bill O’Herlihy led our greatest days. They mightn’t have been our most important days – but our greatest days”

Bill O’Herlihy: A consummate broadcaster whose humility and warmth shone through

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