Eileen Magnier says she felt a mixture of “sadness and pride” on learning of reporter Charlie Bird’s passing
EILEEN Magnier, RTÉ’s North West Correspondent said her immediate reaction when she heard of colleague Charlie Bird’s death was one of “sadness and pride”.
She explained: “There was that initial sense of real sadness when I read the news, then I thought about how, in recent years, he had met his illness, Motor Neurone Disease, head on.
“How he had worked to raise vast amounts of money that will allow other people with the disease to benefit from Voice Bank Technology that will allow them to communicate.
“I felt proud of him that he had achieved that, because money raised through his charity climb in particular, and other ventures has made that possible for other sufferers - so sadness initially and then a sense of pride.”
Eileen recalled first meeting Charlie in the RTÉ Newsroom in the mid 1980’s. “He was a big name already by that stage, I was very young, but he was always helpful to all the younger staff.”
Eileen moved to Sligo in October 1989 and has continued in her current role for RTÉ since then which meant their paths didn’t cross that often as Charlie was very Dublin-based. “He would call occasionally if he was working on a northwest story, but I really didn’t have all that much close contact with him until more recent times.”
She explains: “I was on duty the weekend they did ‘Climb With Charlie’ so I went down to Croagh Patrick to cover that for RTÉ and I met him and his amazing wife Claire. The event was remarkable. It amazed me the number of people who turned up and undertook that challenge, it was absolutely incredible.
“I have covered Reek Sunday a few times, but this was very special.
“There were people there and they were doing it for the Motor Neurone organisation, but they were also doing it for other charities as well.
“Charlie was so organised. Using the Voice Bank Technology, he had his recordings of what he wanted to say and he had his press releases ready. I got all that information from him the night before the climb. We did an interview with him on the mountain and the way he handled that was so impressive and equally what stood out was the support of his wife Claire who helped him, that struck me too,” Eileen told the Sligo Weekender.
His challenge caught the imagination of the public and thousands of people completed their own 'Climb with Charlie' events all over Ireland and further afield.
Climbs were organised as far away as the US, Australia, South Africa, and Spain.
The campaign raised more than €1.6m for the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association and mental health charity Pieta.
She said the money raised through that climb and other charity events has allowed the Motor Neurone Disease Association to make Voice Bank Technology used by Charlie to be made available to everyone with the condition.
“Because of the money raised Charlie has given a voice to other people through this technology. “He was someone who had a voice that was recognised nationally, and it was very hard for him to lose it, but everyone has a voice and everyone has the need to communicate, to talk to your loved ones, and he has helped to give that voice to other people who have the condition. I think that’s a great legacy,” she said.