'Dear Gay...': The letters that touched the hearts of a nation 

Gay Byrne's daughters and his longterm assistant are among the people contributing to a new documentary on some of the moving and hugely-significant letters members of the public sent him through the decades 

Dear Gay looks at some of the letters sent to Gay Byrne.

Long before social media became a 24/7 platform for the airing of opinions, Gay Byrne offered an outlet for voices that couldn’t be heard anywhere else. For decades, on the Late Late Show and The Gay Byrne Show, the legendary broadcaster was a confidant to and a conduit for a society burdened with secrets and shrouded in shame.

Now a new documentary, Dear Gay, delves into the archives of RTÉ and excavates people’s personal letters to explore Byrne’s impact through the words of the many people who wrote to him.