Charlie Bird had strong links to Macroom

FORMER RTÉ reporter Charlie Bird, who died on Tuesday at the age of 74 after a long battle against Motor Neurone Disease, had strong links to Macroom.

Both his parents came from the town, while his grandfather, Timothy Collins Bird, who was an electrical engineer, came from Bermuda to install the street lighting in the town.

The late broadcaster, who retired from RTÉ in 2012, often spoke publicly about his family links to Macroom and this was even explored when he appeared in an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? on RTÉ 1 in 2008.

He traced his grandparents, Timothy and Jane O’Shea who married in Macroom, while his great-grandfather, Charles Bird was born in Bermuda, but died at the very young age of 37. Charlie’s cousins still live in the family home in Macroom and he visited them also in the programme.

Despite being ill, Charlie tirelessly campaigned for charities since his diagnosis in 2021 and his Climb with Charlie campaign raised more than €3.3m for two charities, The Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association (IMNDA) and Pieta.

A service to celebrate Charlie’s life will held in the Round Room at Dublin’s Mansion House today.