RTE soccer pundits Eamon Dunphy and John Giles have paid tribute to their former colleague and ‘great friend’ Bill O’Herlihy, who sadly passed away this morning.
Long time friend Eamon Dunphy told RTE “Bill was a great broadcaster.” “It was a great tribute to him, that RTÉ would give that job, not just soccer but the Olympics as well.” “He was a great current affairs broadcaster before that. He had a range of interests and a grasp on his subject whatever it was, be it golf, swimming, boxing, soccer.”
Dunphy also said O’Herlihy, with whom he had worked with for years, was also a very decent person. “He was a fantastic broadcaster and a very, very nice man. He was great fun.” Dunphy Spoke of Bill in the highest regard saying: “Bill was a very decent guy but he also had a journalist’s sharp instinct and he would often pull me up or, Liam Brady in particular. Behind it all, we were all great friends and it is rare. “He was by far the most important person on that panel. He was the catalyst for all that was good about it. Dunphy also said the loss of the infamous broadcaster would be great loss and will be felt across the country, Dunphy said: “I think he made a massive contribution to the happiness and understanding of sport and happiness people derived from the sport for all of the Olympic Games, all of the World Cups and all that he presided over.
Dunphy concluded by saying that he would “like to offer his condolences to Bill’s wife Hilary, and Sally and Jill.”
Meanwhile fellow RTE panellist long time friend John Giles spoke to Newstalk about his good friend Bill O’Herlihy. Mr Giles told the radio station “It’s a shock.” “My thoughts and condolences to the family. It’s very sad.”