Tommie Gorman: My great friend Charlie Bird turned his awareness of mortality into a story of hope

Veteran journalist Charlie Bird dies aged 74

Tommie Gorman

Right to the end, Charlie Bird continued to be remarkable. Even though he passed away yesterday, in keeping with family wishes, the news of his death wasn’t made public until 10am yesterday. In a world where traditional platforms compete with social media and influencers, respecting that request seems impossible. But such was the regard for Charlie, the silence held.

The memory that keeps coming back to me is from June 9, 2021. An easing of the Covid restrictions allowed our Westawake WhatsApp group to convene in Galway. Seven RTÉ has-beens, struggling to adjust to retirement – Charlie, Ray Burke, Joe O’Brien, Jim Fahy, Michael Lally, Sean O’Rourke and me.