Friends remember ‘charming, witty & funny’ presenter of RTE’S Quicksilver
LATE Late Show legend Gay Byrne has led tributes to former RTE star Bunny Carr, who died this week.
The 91-year-old who was best-known for presenting popular game show Quicksilver from 1965 to 1981 with the catchphrase “Stop the lights”, passed away in Howth Hill Nursing Home in Dublin on Wednesday.
Gaybo opened up about memories of Bunny.
The 84-year-old told the Irish Mirror: “He and I always got on very well. He was a charming guy, a witty guy, a funny guy and a good guy to be with.
“The last time I saw him, John Mccolgan had organised an outing for a whole gang of aging broadcasters.
“We went on the canal boat on Mespil his fond Road, had lunch and a few drinks. We had the most convivial time.
“I’m very sorry to hear he has died, he will be missed by a huge number of listeners and viewers all around the country for his various programmes.”
While Bunny was best-known for his Quicksilver role, he also hosted RTE shows Going Strong and The Politicians.
In 1973, the Dubliner, whose real name was Bernard, founded a public relations and media training company Carr Communications.
He earned his nickname in school after a nun called him a bunny rabbit because of his large ears as a child.
Before making it as a presenter, Gay Byrne Carr worked as a bank clerk, where he first met RTE broadcaster Kathleen Watkins.
Watkins, who is married to Gay Byrne, described Bunny as a “lovely man”.
She said: “I would go in there to lodge my few shillings and Bunny would pretend to talk to someone else and say, ‘Excuse me, I’m dealing with Watkins, one of our better customers’. He had a great sense of humour and was a terrible tease.
“We had great fun together in the early days of RTE television because in the early days, the ads were read live in the studio – five and seven-second ads.
“Slides would go up and Bunny would read one and someone else would read another. That’s where I got to know Bunny really well. He was a lovely man – always good humoured, pleasant, happy and so nice to work with”
Speaking on RTE Radio One’s Morning Ireland, PR guru Terry Prone spoke fondly of her late friend.
She said: “He battered every door in RTE. He said to me at one stage he had produced 70 fully-articulated programme ideas.
“He also kept himself going by doing voiceovers for ads. He said that was useful because it allowed him to encounter RTE producers and there was always the chance one of them would say, ‘Bunny, the very man’.”
Bunny’s funeral will take place tomorrow at 10am in St Fintan’s Church, Sutton.