‘I love you Bird, I'm going to miss you’ – broadcaster’s wife Claire says it was an ‘absolute privilege’ to look after husband during illness

Family, friends and ex-colleagues of the journalist and campaigner gathered in the Mansion House in Dublin today for the special service to celebrate his life.

Members of the public have also turned out to pay their respects to the renowned broadcaster, who died this week aged 74 after a high-profile battle with motor neurone disease (MND).

Ms Mould told mourners that she and her late husband loved to travel and to walk the hills in Wicklow with their dog Tiger. As she began her address, Tiger could be heard whimpering and was brought on stage with her.

"What made me fall in love with Bird was his zest for life. There was never a dull moment when you were with him,” she said.

"He always loved being the centre of attention, loved all the craic. I love you Bird, I'm going to miss you so much."

Charlie Bird's daughter, Neasa, said that her father's MND diagnosis was his "worst fear realised" and said he was "devastated and afraid".

She said: "Watching Dad grappling with that was heart-breaking, and as we frankly admitted to him on more than one occasion, all the more difficult for the very public way he chose to deal with it.

"But that was Dad's way, and as much as we might have wanted to retreat with him to a more private space in the last few years, the tenacity of spirit and the perseverance which saw Dad achieve so much meant that he was always going to do it his way.

"In doing so, he inspired and gave solace to countless others, and that is no small thing. Rather, it is a very great thing."

She said on the day before he died, her father "painstakingly typed out a final message" about courage and a fear that his courage would falter.

"But Dad's courage did not falter because his courage, his amazing bravery and, ultimately, his legacy is the way that he showed us all that it is OK to despair.

"It is OK to be afraid. It is human to be angry when dealt with a hand like MND. It is OK because as he also showed us after all of that, or more accurately in the midst of all of that, there is still purpose, there is still joy, and there is still hope."

Bird’s favourite song, Land of Hope and Dreams by Bruce Springsteen, was played at the end of the ceremony.

When the service began at midday, wife Ms Mould walked in behind the wicker coffin, with their beloved dog Tiger.

Former RTÉ correspondent Joe O’Brien told mourners that his friend had his own “dynamic style of reporting”.

“Audiences grew to admire and respect the clarity and forcefulness of this delivery,” he said.

“And, as the years went by, Charlie became Charlie – the Charlie we know.

“When I think of Charlie, I think of his boundless energy and his nose for news.

Charlie Bird's funeral takes place in Dublin

“He was a smart dresser, a hard worker and was eager to do things differently. He was intelligent and gifted with an incredible memory. Charlie was kind and generous.

“He had great people skills. He was witty and cheeky and he was also honest and forthright. But Charlie was brave beyond words. Charlie revelled in the excitement of fact-finding and live broadcasting and in his secret hush-hush meetings along the border.

“But what I treasure most is our daily coffee and our strolls around the Donnybrook (RTÉ) campus. We had many a relaxed Friday night drink when he talked about family, world affairs, his passion for Irish politics and his fascination with the internal politics of RTÉ.

“Now Charlie would want us to have a joyful celebration of his extraordinary life.”

Charlie Bird's daughter Orla told the memorial service about life growing up in Bray, Co Wicklow.

"In the middle of this very ordinary, if charmed, family life there was an extraordinary career," she said.

"It's almost impossible to know where family life ended and career started because it was such a big part of all of our lives. The news was a permanent fixture in our home. So, the two were closely intertwined.

"Today, though, we think back on the family memories, the walks every Sunday that we were marched on from as long as I can remember and since we could walk, even before carried on a pouch on dad's back.

"These Sunday walks were a non-negotiable family activity that continued, much to our horror, into our teenage years."

Bird's daughter recalled the letters he would send her when she spent time in the United States, with each one signed off "keep smiling".

She spoke of his hectic working life that involved continually leaving the home at short notice to cover a major news event at home or abroad.

"The next time we would see him he would be on TV and then you would know where he was, that was just a norm," she said. She said the family home was Bird's "safe place to fly from and a safe place to return".

Taking to the stage to start her address, Ms Mould thanked everyone for attending the what she described as a “truly special” send-off for “my gorgeous husband Charlie Bird".

"Bird always taught me to speak from the heart, but when you are heartbroken it is very difficult,” she said, after which Tiger began to whimper and was brought on stage with Ms Mould.

She thanked the Clew Bay Pipe Band for their “absolutely beautiful music.”

"Listening to everyone’s stories today about Charlie has really blown me away. Hearing about his life, his achievements, his friendships, he’s such a great friend,” she said.

Addressing his daughters Orla and Neasa, Ms Mould said: "We have been through so much and I really appreciate your love and support. I could not have got through last week without your support. You know how much your dad loved you."

She said that when her husband was diagnosed with MND, all she wanted to do was look after him, which she described as “an absolute privilege”.

Ms Mould then played a video montage of clips of the family, giving everyone a taste of what the “home Bird” was like – because everyone knew the “public Bird.”

She said what made her fall in love with him was his “zest for life”, saying that there was “never a dull moment” with him.

"He always loved being the centre of attention and all the craic. He travelled the world, always looking for adventures and we had so many,” she said.

She told of how he also loved being at home and walking the hills of Wicklow, with her and Tiger.

"He loved drinking a pint of Guinness before MND and having a roast dinner, which we had every single Sunday, and we are together 19 years,” she said, adding: “I love you Bird, I am going to miss you so much.”