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RTÉ HAS CONFIRMED that its former chief news reporter Charlie Bird is to retire after almost 40 years with the organisation.
He joined the state broadcaster in 1974, and later became chief news reported and RTÉ’s Washington correspondent.
He will present the Marian Finucane Show on RTÉ Radio One this Sunday, but that will be his last broadcast.
The 63-year-old has said that he’s not retiring completely though and hasn’t ruled out working for other broadcasters.
Thanks for the memories Charlie. Here are your best bits:
‘I want to talk to you’ – Charlie tracks down former Anglo Irish Bank Chief Executive David Drumm:
Uploaded by RTÉ
It must be love – Charlie gets friendly with a seal in Antarctica:
Uploaded by RTÉ
Maybe ‘best bits’ isn’t an appropriate title for this next one, but Charlie Bird carried on working after being attacked during the Love Ulster riots in Dublin in February 2005:
Uploaded by wobzilla1
And Charlie even got the Bull Island treatment:
Uploaded by Sheridmi
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The swimming drunk one is baffling and yet you see lads at it. Like you can barely walk and ya think you can swim?
These rules are necessary for the fools that believe they are invincible. Common sense seems to have gone out the window with this generation. Regulation/ Health and safety now has to be enforced because of the simple stupidity of some people. Please wake up!!
best way to eradicate this mentality in the next generation – get rid of mindless tv shows that spend more time raising kids than parents. back in our parents generation peoples common sense was of a higher level and i think tv is a majot contributory factor to this
it’s heartbreaking to see so many people in Ireland drowning during the hot weather
All of the deaths in the water in this current hot spell are very sad to see…
Lakes are dangerous places… Much colder than the sea and a lot harder to swim in…
Really hope there are no more deaths from it…
@ Baz. What is it that makes a lake colder than the sea and harder to swim in ? I’m not much of a swimmer at all but would have guessed that the opposite was true.
It’s that the water in a lake is much denser, therefore harder to swim in. Not sure why/if it’s colder. From my own experience it definitely seems more difficult in a lake though, and people are always surprised by that. Dont understand why your comment got thumbs down, sure you were only asking a question
Yeah I would have too.. Lakes would be noteably colder than the ocean, especially shaded ones like the quarry… Not sure of the exact science behind it but typically they are colder than the sea..
The reason why they are harder to swim in because there is a lot less bouncancy in fresh water due to the absence of salt, I.e salt water makes it easier to float… Without salt, lakes feel a lot heavier to swim in. I wouldn’t ever go swimming in a lake without a wetsuit as that gives you the bouncancy needed to take a break with ease..Unfortunately people have been swimming out far in lakes without the fitness and lose breath…
Yes that makes sense alright, the lack of buoyancy in fresh water. It’s a pity more people aren’t aware of this. Tragic waste of lives over the last 2 weeks or so.
Over 50% don’t follow the simple rules! We live on a damn Island most of these rules are common sense!
I will admit, the “don’t swim when you’re hot” one, I have ignored. I do only swim when I want to cool off….
Where did the eating thing come from? In all my years swimming I never had or never heard of anyone getting a crap after eating while swimming.
All this time wasted telling people not to swim after eating would be better spent telling people not to overestimate their abilities which I think is the cause of most of these drownings. A lot of people trying to swim across quarries/lakes, getting a mouthful of water an panicking.
*cramp not crap
It’s an old wives tale Conor no truth to it at all…
Like a stitch when running after eating, blood flow is directed towards digestion and hence, cramp. It’s real, but I do agree a bigger factor is risk taking.
It was funnier the first way you said it
That’s a good point about the over estimation… It’s very probable that is one of the common denominators…
Any time I have done swim training in a lake, I would have a wetsuit on and still think f€*k this is horrendously cold compared to the sea… So swimming out a couple 100 metres into the middle of a lake in just swim togs has the makings of trouble
My theory is parents wanted time after lunch to relax without having to watch children in the water. Who knows, though.
Well your hypothesis is wrong when more that 100% of those 11 people that died in the last week didnt bring their mammy’s with them to that water !!
I wasn’t being entirely serious, but it was a hypothesis about how it started. Your comment makes no sense.
You know, the way you learn things as a child, and remember them? I wasn’t suggesting they were all there with their parents.
Maggie I think you may have been neglected as a child.
Cramp after eating is real. Go and have a meal and then go and run a few miles and see what happens. It won’t be long until you’ll have to pull up and stop. Do that when you’re swimming and you sink. Thus the risk of drowning. Some of these old wives knew more than you think!
Yes, dear.
More than 100 percent???….you should be thankful that swimming isn’t as difficult as maths!
100.49 ?? pat pat there dave
If you don’t your Thick!!
You’re
Troll
You’re calling people thick, and you can’t even spell a simple word. He isn’t a troll for pointing that out.
It’s Carol
What is?
Carol in carlow :)
You’ve lost me
Thick?
You sure are.
No need to be nasty Carol. On a sundee
You are one sad human. Get a life.
Nasty Carol.
I make a effort to always stay in my depth and do not swim after eating.
Swimming after eating make absolutely no difference. That is an old wives tale.
No it’s not stomach cramps swimming after eating ,fact
Yes and no, try to do any physical exercise after eating i.e. running. Swimming is not much different.
And after eating you are more likely to have hiccups etc. so in theory swimming after eating can be more dangerous when in water, yes!
I was trying to say that you would get stomach cramp’s if you were go to swimming after eating
Was up in Glendalough yesterday and couldn’t get over the number of people swimming the width of the lake – asking for trouble
An island surrounded by water and so many people needlessly drowning! In the UK children are encouraged to learn how to swim,surely this could be done here?
As a qualified instructor,it was amazing to see how many voted no!
Surely common sense, should also prevail, just because the sun is beating down, you think the water is going to be warm!
Your arms and legs lose their heat first as the blood goes back to keep the core of the body warm!
Result, silent drowning, no waving arms, you haven’t the strength.
Learn to swim. Learn to swim within your limits. Obey the instructions of the local lifeguard!
Enjoy yourselves! BUT BE SAFE!!!
I clicked yes but to be honest I have never read any water safety guidelines. I just use common sense and respect the knowledge that water is more powerful than I will ever be. Don’t due stupid things and you more than likely wont end up in a difficult situation!
No one listens and no one cares until a friend or loved one dies. Then the heavens open up with “Would a”, “should a”, “could a”… At this point… Is far too late.
With so many influences that causes people to neglect their true responsibilities. .. We are turning into a societies dummies… We make the mistake, we take the chance, we take the short cut and when we find we are wrong… We look for someone else to blame.
Face it… We can be a society of great intelligence. .. However, the lack of common sense will kill us before intellect.
Sadly, our goverment will eventually have to go by way of the US…. Anything open or available to the general public will have to be dummied down with saftey features for the lowest common denominator.
Gaurd rails, signage, security features during closing times, security telling us what we can or cannot do, garda handing out tickets for every infraction (J-Walking, obstruction of entances and exits to have conversations, loitering, littering, open intoxicants in a public areas, riding bikes where they don’t belong etc).
Why can’t the authorities create a safe out door swimming area for when we have good weather? With all the beautiful lakes and rivers Ireland has there should be safe recreational areas that have been cleared and designated so people can enjoy safe open water swimming in fresh water….
They have done a great job on marking safe beaches and warning about quarries and rivers,but people still don’t listen.
There are plenty of them already, but people will go to places that don’t have a lifeguard on duty, that may have hidden currents/dangers. You can’t fence off the coast/every river/lake save for the places covered by lifeguards as much as you can’t force people from enjoying all of our country. The answer isn’t nannyism it’s in education and I believe that no child should go through school without learning a proficient level of swimming ability and water safety training. We as a country are backward in this regard.
The tragic deaths during the good weather are sad and incredibly unfortunate as more than likely each one began as an otherwise enjoyable time.
I was thought how to swim in my local lake through Irish Water Safety Classes and from the very first lesson was thought the dangerous of swimming and how to enjoy swimming whilst staying safe. My daughters are currently enjoying two weeks swimming lesson by Irish water safety in the same lake and they two are being educated in the dangerous of our waterways. I feel it is essential that people are thought how to swim in fresh water as well as pools as there is huge difference in swimming abilities. People who swim confidently in a pool can struggle on fresh water. It’s all about education,knowing your limits and knowing the area.
RIP to all who had lost their lives,so very sad.
Agree Mary – its a bit Irish people are more fixated on a old wives tale at the expense of the genuine dangers.
Answered sometimes correct answer is most of the time have caught myself swimming when tired, having had a can or two/ wine, and turning away from shoreline further out when should have done.
There should be a most times button on the vote.
Sometimes wasn’t good enough?
You could get away with it many times, all it takes is something to go wrong once and you are a statistic.
I know you’re so right and each time I said afterwards” you bloody fool” to myself, if my kids had done it would have beat them all over the place, they wouldn’t have wanted to go near water again. It was typical subconscious “won’t happen to me thinking” .
Incidentally just green thumbed your comment because it is so right
You beat your kids too? Nice
Answered you directly. Now publicly it’s called being facetious which may not have a place here. One thing I can say if beating them would prevent them putting their lives in danger at any time then yes Iwould beat them, anyway too big now to beat.
The last ime that I had swim I had a stroke. Fortunately I was got to hospital in time. I wonder how many times that happens and the unfortunate victims drown.
Everyone in the country has been in the water over the last few weeks. The number of swimmers has probably shot up by 5000% or something over that short time, so by the law of averages the number of drownings will rise accordingly. It’s just the papers trying raise fear and outrage in everyone. Ppl are never going to live their lives by the book, without any risk taking! Do we have to get a big commitee going about everything? Yes be careful but if 1000000 ppl swim, some will drown… needlessly, yes. And honestly is there a human out there who hasn’t skinny dipped while drunk? ?? Really… never? Really? ???
Any bog snorkelling advice?
Flush it first
After all the current drowning incidents it has entered my thoughts that some of them may have been suicides and those killings themselves hoped to use the curreny spates of drownings as a cover so as to not upset their families.
Here in Ennis the kids in primary school go to the pool regularly as part of their PE they learn how to swim is this not part of the curriculum?
Confidence in water is problem plus .you can be great swimmer but lakes and ocean are deadly if u dont know wats under water like old trees wire . Rip tide u cant see it some times but its there . Old quarrys building rubble old rubbish to get tangled in and they look shallow but deep water is normal . We all take chances nearly drowned in quarry as child .do lot of surfing so need to swim well plus respect ocean it will kill you if u dont .
I was reared near the water and fished each summer god a living
The old fishermen always said that you must respect water,cause if you don’t it will teach you
you don’t need rules you need common sense.like people should have to be told these things I would follow most of these ‘rules’ but I never heard of them until today
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