Charlie Bird has died at the age of 74

Former RTÉ journalist Charlie Bird has died at the age of 74.

He was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2021, and focused on charity work and raising awareness of his condition.

His campaign raised €3.4 million for a number of charities including the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association and Pieta.

In his most recent post on X (formerly Twitter) on February 29th, Mr Bird said he was “still hanging in” adding that he was due to lead a walk in Wicklow in April for Samaritan volunteers.

Last month, he wrote that his health had “changed completely” before thanking his neighbours and carers for their support.

Mr Bird joined RTÉ in 1972, working as a researcher before moving to the newsroom.

One of his earliest assignments was the Stardust fire in Artane in Dublin in 1981 when 48 young people died in the nightclub blaze.

In the 1990s Mr Bird was at the forefront of the reporting of the Northern Ireland peace process when, from 1993 onwards, the Provisional IRA chose him as their primary media contact in the Republic.

He is survived by his wife Claire, daughters Orla and Nessa, grandchildren Abigail, Charlie, Edward, Harriet and Hugo, and his three brothers.

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