The Irish broadcasting community is mourning the loss of Michael Lyster, the revered RTÉ Sport presenter who passed away at age 71. Lyster, whose career spanned nearly four decades, became a household name through his three-decade tenure hosting ‘The Sunday Game Live’, cementing his status as an institution in Irish sports media.
Lyster’s broadcasting journey began in print journalism at The Tuam Herald in County Galway before he joined RTÉ in 1980 as a sports bulletin broadcaster on Radio 2. His inaugural year at the national broadcaster included coverage of the 1980 Moscow Olympics, marking the start of an illustrious career that would see him become the definitive voice of Gaelic games.
In 1984, Lyster took the helm of ‘The Sunday Game’, where he would become synonymous with the network’s GAA coverage until his retirement in 2018 following that year’s All-Ireland Gaelic football final between Dublin and Tyrone. Beyond Gaelic games, Lyster demonstrated remarkable versatility, presenting coverage across diverse sporting disciplines including horse racing, athletics, rugby, football, motorsport and greyhound racing.
An accomplished rally driver himself, Lyster once finished third in the Cork International Rally, reflecting his genuine passion for motorsports that informed his commentary.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin led tributes, expressing being ‘deeply saddened’ by Lyster’s passing and praising him as ‘a moderniser of sport broadcasting’ and ‘an iconic anchor’ synonymous with Ireland’s most memorable sporting moments. RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst remembered Lyster as ‘an absolute gentleman and a wonderful broadcaster who loved sport in general and Gaelic games in particular.’ Declan McBennett, RTÉ Sport’s group head, highlighted Lyster’s ‘calm, measured’ professionalism and his ability to guide panel discussions ‘with poise and grace’ during the most significant events in the GAA calendar.