6 Facts About Gay Byrne

1. In 2011, Gay Byrne experienced a health scare at his home in Sandymount when he struggled to breathe.

2. On 13 August 2011, Gay Byrne announced that he would not be a candidate for the Presidency.

3. In March 2006, Gay Byrne was appointed as the Chairman of the Irish Road Safety Authority, a public body given the task of improving road safety in the Republic of Ireland.

4. On 21 May 1999, Gay Byrne presented his last edition of The Late Late Show.

5. When he was young, Gay Byrne was inspired by the broadcaster Eamonn Andrews, who had a successful career on British television, and "wanted to be what he was".

6. In 2010, The Irish Times said Gay Byrne was "unquestionably the most influential radio and television man in the history of the Irish State".