Goodbye Bill O'Herlihy Retires After 49 Years On RTE

The 75-year-old broadcaster will host his last RTE World Cup final tonight in front of an estimated one million viewers.
"For the first time it's dawning on me that this is my last day - that I'm facing the final curtain as Frank Sinatra would have it and it's a strange feeling. RTE has been so much part of my life for 49 years both in terms of news features current affairs and sport, so walking into RTE this afternoon, about quarter to four, it'll be a bit special, won't it?"
"The reality is I've been working 49 years with RTE and I don't want to be going in in a zimmer frame. The World Cup Final was the obvious time to go and RTE agrees with it, to be honest."
- See more at: www.independent...
The veteran presenter has anchored 10 World Cups on RTE, starting with the 1978 competition in Argentina. He says that his favourite was the 1990 World Cup.
"The 1990 world cup was unbelievable it was the first time we qualified and was a very, very special time. That was the year George Hamilton coming up with the great line, 'the nation holds its breath'.
"Interestingly enough I was always very sorry when O'Leary scored that fantastic penalty that the camera didn't go back to the studio because we were jumping around that Ireland go through to the next stage people were looking at us objectively. You have a professional job to do on one hand but you wear your heart on your sleeve on the other," he said.
O'Herlihy is enjoying this year's World Cup, and thinks Germany will win tonight.
"This is the most exciting World Cup. More exciting than South Africa by a long time.
"Audiences are going up to 800,000 watching the program and they're consistently like 40pc and 50pc of the overall audience.
"This evening the romantics will all want Messi to get his medal, but the realists will want Germany, the lads make it very clear to me that I'm an anchor and not an analyst so I can't say. As a European, I want Germany to win," he said.
- See more at: www.independent...

[@conorfeeney5298]

Bring him back don't let him leave missing him already

[@Chalky29]

'Just watch, baby'

[@louiskelly1671]

Love that from Dunphy

[@johncarolan8713]

Ever the professional even with his final speech, may he RIP. Such a shame he had such a short retirement.

[@johnwallification]

Who's feeling old? I switched to Arabic commentary for the World Cup last night in the middle east so I wouldn't have to listen to Andy Gray, because it feels like he's been on telly for 20 years! I never once bridled at Bill watching him broadcast for over 30 years. What sort of a talent is that? Brilliant professional anchor. And I bumped into him once on an elevator in Dunnes Stores on Henry Street, last century, and he was yapping' away about this and than and asking me how I was, like we were old mates, and I'd never met him before. Seemed like a genuinely top bloke. "Golf Time for Bill. Yaah!" Thanks Tim Finnegan for loading it up

[@sugerbabev1978]

Still miss bill on the panel.. hard to believe he is no longer with us 😰

[@eega100]

am teary watching this.o herlihy,giles brady and dunphy... better than anyone else.slán bill is mile buíochas

[@nanaimo68]

world cup will never be the same :(

[@fergalcollins3898]

"just watch baby"

[@eugenemcsweeney8861]

Best tv panel ever ❤

[@dylanhayes984]

rip good old bill

[@uoyevolisp]

RIP Bill

[@hoofhartedhd7690]

his a legend :)

[@davidcarley3304]

Bill O' Herlihy

[@utubehurrah]

Eleven played
Three spoke shite.
Only through Bill
Came meaning to me.

[@conorfeeney5298]

Bring him back don't let him leave missing him already