Bird angry over coverage of private life

Seán McCárthaigh

“I don’t have a love nest,” said Mr Bird yesterday in an angry reaction to attempts by Ireland on Sunday and the Evening Herald to write about an alleged new romance involving the high-profile reporter.

Mr Bird contacted RTÉ’s Liveline programme to voice his concern about such unwarranted intrusion into his private life. He said the editor of Ireland on Sunday had admitted a photographer from the newspaper had recently followed him for several days in order to get a picture of the reporter with his new girlfriend.

Mr Bird told presenter Joe Duffy he was aware of rumours which had falsely linked him romantically to a senior Government official. He also complained about a front-page story on last Saturday’s Evening Herald entitled “Shock at Bird’s Love Nest Probe”, which used the byline of a fictitious reporter, Sarah Glynn. The broadcaster said the report contained “glaring inaccuracies” because it claimed he had recently admitted in another interview he was involved in a new relationship.

The father of two publicly acknowledged he was involved in a long-term relationship for a number of years after he had separated from his wife but that he was now single.

He told listeners it was “more frightening” to be told by an Ireland on Sunday editor that he was “fair game”.

The award-winning reporter said his livelihood as an investigative journalist could be threatened, if he was regularly being followed by photographers.

Mr Bird also called for a debate among his media colleagues about the need for a press council which would provide some right of redress for people who felt they were treated unfairly by the print media.

National Union of Journalists spokesman Seamus Dooley refused to defend the action of the rival tabloid newspapers, claiming public figures were entitled to a private life. He described recent reports written about Mr Bird’s personal circumstances as “cheap and nasty”.