Charlie Bird | |
|---|---|
 Bird in 2007 | |
| Born | (1949-09-09)9 September 1949 Sandymount,Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 11 March 2024(2024-03-11) (aged 74) Magheramore,County Wicklow, Ireland |
| Education | Sandymount High School |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Notable credit | RTÉ News |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
Charles Brown Bird (9 September 1949 – 11 March 2024) was an Irish journalist and broadcaster. He was Chief News Correspondent withRTÉ News until January 2009. He took up the role of Washington Correspondent, but prematurely returned to his earlier post in Ireland in June 2010. He retired from RTÉ in August 2012.
Charles Brown Bird was born inSandymount,Dublin on 9 September 1949.[a][1] He was educated atSandymount High School.[2]
In the late 1960s, Bird took an active interest in far-left politics, being a member of Young Socialists.[3] In this role, along withTariq Ali of theInternational Marxist Group, he attended the funeral of Peter Graham ofSaor Éire who was assassinated on 25 October 1971 in an internecine dispute. A photograph of the funeral shows Ali and Bird giving aclenched fist salute at the grave.[4]
In the early 1970s, Bird joinedOfficial Sinn Féin (later Sinn Féin: the Workers' Party). In 1973, he was their director of elections inDublin South-Central,[5] but in 2022, he claimed he left shortly thereafter and had only been involved with the party for a few months.[6] Subsequently, Bird was recruited into RTÉ by Workers' Party memberEoghan Harris in the mid-1970s.[2][7]
For a period, Bird was a member of theLabour Party but left afterNoël Browne walked out of the party following the 1977 Labour party conference in Cork.[b][6]
Bird began his career in RTÉ as a writer responding to fan mail for a children's show, and later became a researcher before moving into a position in the newsroom in 1980.[1] For many years in the 1990s, Bird was the only point of contact betweenRTÉ and theProvisional IRA. He witnessed first-hand the ceasefires and the subsequent twists and turns of the peace process.[2] On the international front, Bird reported on theGulf War and was inSyria for the release ofBrian Keenan in 1990. He covered the outbreak of theSomali Civil War in the early 90s and theRwandan genocide in 1994.[8]
In 1998, Bird and his colleagueGeorge Lee broke the story about a tax evasion scheme being operated byNational Irish Bank, in which the bank was offering customers looking to avoid tax offshore investment schemes in the Isle of Man.[9][8] For this, both men were awarded "Journalist of the Year".[10]
While the NIB story represented a professional highpoint, the aftermath represented a low one; "the worst time of my life" as Bird described it in 2006.[8] During his coverage of the NIB story, Bird reported thatBeverley Flynn had assisted clients of the bank inevading tax by funnelling undeclared income toClerical Medical schemes based in theIsle of Man. Flynn denied the claims and sued RTÉ for libel. What followed was "the longest-running libel case in the history of the state".[8] The matter went to theIrish High Court in 2001; a jury found that while RTÉ was unable to prove its case, they also stated that the allegations levelled against Flynn were substantially true. Thus, Flynn was judged to have "won" the case, but was awarded no damages. Flynn appealed the matter to the Supreme court, but lost, but continued to legally pursue the matter. The issue was never fully settled until 2007, when RTÉ agreed to settle with Flynn to the sum of €1.24 million. That became a controversy in itself, with the public outraged that ultimately the taxpayer would have to foot such a steep bill, as well as accusations that TaoiseachBertie Ahern was involved and had encouraged RTÉ to settle.[8]
In the early 2000s, Bird covered a number of major international news stories for RTÉ News such as theSeptember 11 attacks in New York and the2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.[8] He also covered domestic stories such as a 2004 horse-doping scandal includingCian O'Connor and the story of theColombia Three, three Irish Republicans charged with providing training to FARC rebels.[8]
Bird was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws fromUniversity College Dublin in 2004.[11]
Bird was attacked during theDublin riots of 25 February 2006, suffering a fractured cheekbone, soft tissue damage and bruising.[12] On RTÉ News broadcasts later that evening, he spoke of his personal experience—and of how his assailants had recognised him and called him an "Orange Bastard". Witnesses includedSunday Independent journalistDaniel McConnell, who reported on the event the following day. Bird's appearance on theSix O'Clock News was criticised byThe Sunday Times in its edition the following day, as it felt "Bird makes himself the story". In 2008, a man pleaded guilty to violent disorder and assaulting Bird.[12]
Bird presented theCharlie Bird Explores series in 2006, 2007 and 2008. In this collection of documentary programmes, he visited theAmazon, theGanges, and the Arctic.[13]
On 7 October 2008, Bird was announced to become theRTÉ News and Current Affairs Washington correspondent in January 2009.[14] His first report as Washington correspondent was on theNine O'Clock bulletin aboutUS Airways Flight 1549.[15] RTÉ received 30 complaints after he "failed to wear a suit and tie" onSix One during coverage of the death ofTed Kennedy.[16]
Bird provided coverage from the2010 Haiti earthquake in January 2010. A two-part documentary about his first year in theUnited States was broadcast later that month onRTÉ One.[17] In it he spoke of his "madness" in moving to the country and his lack of contacts and recognition in Washington DC.[18] At the end of the second programme, he announced he would vacate his Washington post.[19] Early viewing figures suggested that the two programmes got viewing averages of 473,000 and 563,000 people. RTÉ cited Bird's "popularity" when asked about the large audience.[20]
Bird returned to Ireland to take up his previous job of Chief News Correspondent with RTÉ in June 2010.[21][22] He covered a high-profile leadership challenge ofEnda Kenny on his return.[23] The Washington role was filled byRichard Downes.[24] During August 2010, Bird began presentingThe Marian Finucane Show.[25][26] Bird retired from RTÉ on 26 August 2012;[27] his last broadcast was presentingThe Marian Finucane Show on RTÉ Radio 1.[27]
Bird presentedTonight with Vincent Browne on TV3 between 29 August and 1 September 2016.[28]
In 2016, he publishedA Day in May in response to theThirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland.[29] In 2018, sections of this publication were used as part of a play by the same name in theOlympia Theatre, Dublin.[30]
In 1974, he married Mary O'Connor, and they had two daughters. They divorced in 1998.[31] In 2016, he married Claire Mould.[32]
On 27 October 2021, Bird announced that he had developedmotor neurone disease, after experiencing problems with his voice.[33] He subsequently announced "Climb For Charlie", a campaign where he and other celebrities would climbCroagh Patrick to raise awareness of the condition.[34][35]
In April 2022, after completing the "Climb with Charlie", Bird donated a wooden sculpture to Westport House to thank the local community. The piece, titledAn Saighdiúir (The Soldier), was created by Wicklow sculptor Seighean Ó Draoi. Standing eight feet tall and carved from Lebanese Cedar, it represents an ancient Irish soldier. The design was influenced by a 1521 work of German artistAlbrecht Dürer depicting Irish fighters in Europe, and also draws on the history of dispossessed Irish known asKerns andTories, who resisted English settlement in the 16th century. Bird, accompanied by his wife Claire and their dog Tiger, presented the sculpture at the Quay entrance to Westport House. It was accepted by Harry and Cathal Hughes, owners of the estate, along with estate and construction manager Michael King. The donation followed Bird’s fundraising climb of Croagh Patrick in 2021, which raised more than €3.6 million for the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association andPieta House.[36][37]
On 12 June 2022, theSunday World reported that Bird had selected his burial place. On 23 August 2023, he entered home hospice care.[38] He died on 11 March 2024, aged 74.[39]
Yes, I did dabble with Official Sinn Féin for a few months when I was young and well before my working career began. I grew up with Tony Heffernan. We lived on the same street in Eden Park in Goatstown and he was involved with Official Sinn Féin and roped me in, and I was active at constituency level for a few months and then just moved on.
Even Charlie Bird appeared.
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| Preceded by | RTÉ News Washington Correspondent 2009–2010 | Succeeded by |
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