'If you were sweating, he was sweating with you': Anthony Daly pays tribute to Michael Lyster

Michael Lyster next to the Liam MacCarthy Cupahead of the 2017 All-Ireland final between Galway and Waterford. File picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Michael Lyster's former Sunday Game colleague Anthony Daly has hailed the late presenter as a "gift to broadcasting" in Ireland.

Lyster died on Saturday at the age of 71, having presented RTÉ's flagship GAA show for 34 years, up until he retired in 2018.

Irish Examiner columnist and podcast host Daly worked with Lyster regularly on The Sunday Game, especially before he took over as Dublin hurling manager ahead of the 2009 season. 

Daly said Lyster made his transition to media work easier and 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 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 [in 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."

Lyster's funeral will take place on Thursday, March 26.