Funeral details confirmed for former Sunday Game presenter Michael Lyster

Both Anthony Daly and Liam Sheedy recalled how Michael Lyster facilitated their transition from playing and managing to media work

Michael Lyster, the former host of The Sunday Game, died over the weekend aged 71. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Funeral details have been announced for Michael Lyster. The former host of The Sunday Game died over the weekend, aged 71. 

He will be reposing on Wednesday evening, March 25, strictly from 5pm-7pm, in Fanagans Carnegies Funeral Home, Monkstown. A funeral ceremony to celebrate Michael's life, for family and friends only, will take place at 4pm on Thursday afternoon, March 26 in the Victorian Chapel, Mount Jerome Crematorium.

Anthony Daly, a colleague of Lyster's on The Sunday game, said he was a "gift to broadcasting" in Ireland.

Daly worked with Lyster regularly on the show, especially before he took over as Dublin hurling manager ahead of the 2009 season. Lyster made Daly's transition to media work easier. He also facilitated the type of conversation which often made the analysis more compelling viewing than the action on the pitch. 

"Talk about helping you and putting you at ease; if you were sweating, he was sweating with you," the Clare man said on the Irish Examiner podcast, Dalo's Hurling Show.

"If it was warm in the box, Mikey L was warm as well. He was great. He would just put you at ease. He was a pro and he wanted the show to go off smoothly. He wanted to talk about what the people would want to talk about and he knew, he smelled that and that's why I liked him. If this is good chat, let it go."

Former Tipperary manager Liam Sheedy had a similar experience of Lyster's guiding hand. 

"I think everybody had a warm affection to Michael," said Sheedy.

"We can all remember the first time we sat in the seat in the studio and you just felt like you were in safe hands here. You knew there was someone there that was going to look after you and never got excited unless Galway (were playing).

"He sat neutral but my God, when Galway were playing... I can still remember when Canning's wonder point went over in 2017 (the All-Ireland semi-final against Tipperary) and himself and Farreller (Cyril Farrell) nearly got out through the roof of the studio. We were sitting there going 'jeez, no'.

"When they got over the line (and won the All-Ireland), to see the elation when the camera goes off and he just gets up by his chair and he lets a jump out of him. He was just such an incredible character and a real gent."

Sheedy accompanied Lyster on a couple of All-Stars trips on which he saw the friendship between Lyster and Irish Independent journalists Vincent Hogan and Martin Breheny. 

"They'd take off in the morning and they'd finish in the evening and all there was was craic and fun and laughter," said Sheedy.

"If it happened that Liverpool were playing Man United, the three would probably fall out before they went to bed and then they'd get up in the morning and they'd go again.

"What he delivered in Gaelic games over his 35 years has been just incredible and I feel very fortunate and proud to have been a small part of that journey that he had. He made my intro into the studio so much easier and you always felt he was just an amazing man, amazing man."