The death has taken place of the journalist and RTÉ broadcaster Gerald Barry.
He was 63 and had been ill for some time. Gerald was one of Ireland's outstanding journalists and was best known for his interviewing skills on the This Week programme on Sundays at 1pm on RTÉ Radio 1.
He conducted many landmark political interviews. It was with Gerald Barry that Garrett FitzGerald launched his Constitutional crusade for a more liberal society, and his interviews included Charles Haughey’s 'go dance on someone else’s grave' defence of his leadership during the 1980s. He reported from Argentina during the Falklands conflict.
Gerald specialised in politics and economics, but also loved music, history and sport - and was an avid Manchester United fan.
He was educated at Belvedere College in Dublin and graduated from UCD with an honours Arts degree in Economics and Politics.
Gerald joined RTÉ as a newsroom reporter in October 1970. He was appointed Deputy Editor, News Features, in May 1978 and four years later was appointed Editor.
He resigned from RTÉ in 1983 to take up the position of Deputy Editor of the Sunday Tribune newspaper, which he held for 12 years. He rejoined RTÉ in 1995 as Editor and presenter of This Week on Radio 1 until January last year.
He had been ill in recent months and died on Monday, 14 March in a Dublin hospital.
Watch the Six One News report, listen to the News at One's story and Sean Duignan's tribute to Mr Barry.
Listen to some selected Gerald Barry interviews:
Interview with Charles Haughey following a Fianna Fáil leadership heave
Interview with Garret FitzGerald about his plan to launch a Constitutional 'crusade'
Interview with Conor Cruise O'Brien about Northern Ireland from 1971
Interview with Bertie Ahern in 2008 about the previous year
Interview with Bertie Ahern after surprise announcement of resignation
Interview with Bertie Ahern ahead of his resignation
Report on the Falklands War from 1982
Report from Washington on Ronald Reagan's election in 1980
An archive of This Week programmes (to October 2003) is available to listen back to here.
Tributes:
'He was highly intelligent and a good interviewer - probing, but fair, not pursuing some angle of his own.'
- Dr Garret FitzGerald, former Taoiseach
'One of the outstanding journalists of recent decades.'
-Eamon Gilmore, Tánaiste
'His interviews were always insightful and informative and he succeeded in drawing the best from his subjects.'
-Micheál Martin, Fianna Fáil leader
'Gerald Barry's distinctive voice and incisive and probing interview style were sadly missing during the recent election campaign.'
-Gerry Adams, Sinn Féin leader
'Gerald was a superb journalist with a razor sharp mind, a brilliant memory and a forensic attention to detail, which, combined with his broadcasting skills, led to many ground-breaking interviews over the 40 years we were privileged to have him as a colleague and a friend in the RTÉ Newsroom.'
'He was also a generous and helpful mentor to many of the younger journalists who have worked with him. He will be sorely missed by us all.'
-Ed Mulhall, Managing Director of RTÉ News
'Gerry Barry was a journalist of great integrity and decency who made an immense contribution to Irish public affairs broadcasting most especially in election coverage. He will be greatly missed.'
-Dr Maurice Manning, Former Fine Gael politician and president of the Irish Human Rights Commission
