Michael Lyster

[rosnarun]

Jesus! I hope he's okay now ...

One of the few media people that everyone likes. Haven't ever heard anyone saying a bad word about him.

hope he makes a full recovery. Best Anchor man RTE have.
Very impartial even when Galway are playing.
He is an institution in this country.

never knew he was that ill

[Fuzzman]

Yeah I noticed it back in January or Feb as he did one of the League Sunday shows and the looked terrible. Very thin and sick looking.
Does he still do the rally driving?

I was never as glad to see him back in the hosting chair rather than Mr Spillane.
Was he always the host or was there someone before him? When did the Sunday game show start?

[Zulu]

1979 I think but I'm sure Micheal Lyster didn't take over until 1984 or 85.

[AZOffaly]

Did Mick Dunne do it before then? I have some recollection of him introducing games. Do you know what was brilliant? The Monday night program. Wrap up of the weekend. If they were arsed RTE could do a great job on that, sure there's cameras everywhere now..

[AZOffaly]

I'm wrong, it was Jim Carney that did it first. Mick Dunne must have just been on Sports Stadium.

[seafoid]

Did Mick Dunne do it before then? I have some recollection of him introducing games. Do you know what was brilliant? The Monday night program. Wrap up of the weekend. If they were arsed RTE could do a great job on that, sure there's cameras everywhere now..

Mick Dunne had a great voice

[Plain of the Herbs]

Seán Óg Ó Ceallacháin presented TSG in 1980 and 1981.  Enda Colleran and Liz Howard were the rspective football and hurling analysts.  Jim Carney took over for the next two years.  Michael Lyster has presented it since.

You might be thinking of Sports Stadium, Arizona.  RTE had a sports programme all day Saturday. Imagine. 

Mick Dunne presented the Gaelic Stadium portion.  In later years he was joined by Joe Lennon who was an expert on the playing rules.  And the novelty of seeing the Kerry team board the train at Tralee on All-Ireland Eve, en route to the Grand Hotel, Malahide.  Noel Reid presented the Racing Stadium section.  Five Nations Rugby from an often dank an gloomy Lansdowne Road with commentary by Frog Wogley.

Did Mick Dunne do it before then? I have some recollection of him introducing games. Do you know what was brilliant? The Monday night program. Wrap up of the weekend. If they were arsed RTE could do a great job on that, sure there's cameras everywhere now..

[GaillimhIarthair]

Did Mick Dunne do it before then? I have some recollection of him introducing games. Do you know what was brilliant? The Monday night program. Wrap up of the weekend. If they were arsed RTE could do a great job on that, sure there's cameras everywhere now..

There is no reason why RTE couldn't bring back that Monday night program if they really wanted to!  Sure they already cater for the soccer with MNS and rugby with Against The Head.  I guess TG4 cover it from a club championship and league perspective during the Winter / Spring but good auld Ryle could surely loosen the purse strings for a GAA program that will run for about 4 months in total during the Summer?

[NAG1]

hope he makes a full recovery. Best Anchor man RTE have.
Very impartial even when Galway are playing.
He is an institution in this country.

Ye know it is the summer is starting when ye see Micheal Lyster on the box.

Im not gay but I love that man.

+1

Hope he makes a full recovery.

But jesus the man has some awful jackets, is there no wardrobe budget left at RTE 

[rosnarun]

didn't mick dunne do 'Sportscene' on a sunday night too covering all sports .
speaking of jaclets  Liam Nolan may have been helping out on that one too

[T Fearon]

Remember round the mid 80s, Michael actually presented the all Ireland Disco Championships on RTE, along with Moya Docherty (who went on to devise Riverdance). They tried to make him look funky, but you just couLdn't separate him from the GAA man!

Those early days were great, with the late Enda Colleran providing accurate analysis without offending anyone. It all changed when the put a mike in front of Spillane!

[ziggysego]

I remember saying to my Dad during one of the NFL games that Michael didn't look atall well. I hope he takes care of himself and makes a full recovery.

[moysider]

didn't mick dunne do 'Sportscene' on a sunday night too covering all sports .
speaking of jaclets  Liam Nolan may have been helping out on that one too

Mike Murphy made a career slagging off Nolan s sports jackets.

He s still above ground I think and not as old as I thought he would be. His contempory Brendan O Reilly dead a while now. The third man I d associate with that group is Bill O Herlihy.

The thing about RTE back in the day was how close to the Auntie template our sports presenters were. Any of those I ve mentioned would have been at home o the BBC as much as Lynam was.

The Sunday Game panellists are another galaxy entirely now.  Back in the day Liz Howard, Eammon Cregan ( he always had an edge but had the stuff and knowledge to back it up)  Enda Colleran, Jimmy Barry Murphy and Donal O Grady did a good job.

But RTE decided to spice it up with looser cannons. I remember Jimmy Barry Murphy saying he quit when he was asked to get harder with player criticism. He said that would not ridicule amatuers that had to go to work on Monday morning. He was one of the best players to ever play either code but had a decency that Brolly or Spillane could have learned from. They had no problem dissing and getting their agendas accross for nice money. O Rourke may present himself as a steady/moderating influence but he is just acting the straight guy in a circus. And it is an act. If anything he is the most sectarian of the lot of them.

JBM is back at the coalface trying to get his county team back on track after years of self inflicted grief. The 3 current senior panellists just mail their shite in every week.

[Syferus]

didn't mick dunne do 'Sportscene' on a sunday night too covering all sports .
speaking of jaclets  Liam Nolan may have been helping out on that one too

Mike Murphy made a career slagging off Nolan s sports jackets.

He s still above ground I think and not as old as I thought he would be. His contempory Brendan O Reilly dead a while now. The third man I d associate with that group is Bill O Herlihy.

The thing about RTE back in the day was how close to the Auntie template our sports presenters were. Any of those I ve mentioned would have been at home o the BBC as much as Lynam was.

The Sunday Game panellists are another galaxy entirely now.  Back in the day Liz Howard, Eammon Cregan ( he always had an edge but had the stuff and knowledge to back it up)  Enda Colleran, Jimmy Barry Murphy and Donal O Grady did a good job.

But RTE decided to spice it up with looser cannons. I remember Jimmy Barry Murphy saying he quit when he was asked to get harder with player criticism. He said that would not ridicule amatuers that had to go to work on Monday morning. He was one of the best players to ever play either code but had a decency that Brolly or Spillane could have learned from. They had no problem dissing and getting their agendas accross for nice money. O Rourke may present himself as a steady/moderating influence but he is just acting the straight guy in a circus. And it is an act. If anything he is the most sectarian of the lot of them.

JBM is back at the coalface trying to get his county team back on track after years of self inflicted grief. The 3 current senior panellists just mail their shite in every week.

Ah stop, you don't need to tell a Rossie what those Leitrim lads are like.

[T Fearon]

I think Dunphy and his big mouth increased RTE's soccer audience and they copied the template for GAA coverage with Spillane ( no doubt seeing how Dunphy increased his own profile and wealth by being controversial) followed suit.