Remembering green Gaybo – saving trees

Amid all of the controversies he stoked up with bishops and nighties and condom rolling, the late broadcaster Gay Byrne was little known for his green credentials.

But this is how one Galway woman remembered the former host of the Late Late Show, who died after a lengthy battle with cancer on Monday.

His intervention managed to save thousands of trees earmarked for the chop in East Galway.

Maria Dermody recalls how in the late 1970s she discovered that a bog located between Mountbellew and Ballygar was being opened up. Trees that had been planted over the previous two years would be removed to make way for turf-cutting.

“There were thousands of them – absolutely thousands of these gorgeous trees. They were about two feet tall. I spoke with the contractor and asked him why they couldn’t save the trees. But he said there was a bigger need for loads of turf. I just couldn’t get it out of my head.”

She asked about removing the trees and planting them elsewhere. She was told that the plantation would be cleared in less than a fortnight, so the chances of galvanising an army of gardeners was unlikely in the extreme.

Undeterred, Maria contacted her sister-in-law who worked in RTÉ about getting publicity. She was advised to contact the Gay Byrne Hour on RTÉ Radio.

She was soon put on air with Uncle Gaybo.

Read what happened next in this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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