A host of Irish stars turned out to pay emotional tributes to the late Gay Byrne during last night's Late Late Show special.
The TV legend tragically passed away on Monday, November 4 following a long illness.
Joining host Ryan Tubridy for the two hour live show on RTE One last night was a long list of, friends and colleagues of the late 85-year-old.
Guests in attendance included the likes of Bob Geldof, Pat Kenny, President Michael D Higgins, Andrea Corr and Tommy Tiernan who all paid touching tributes Gaybo.
Phoning in from New Zealand, was U2 frontman Bono who shared a story about the time he called out to Byrne's house in Howth after the band were dropped from a Late Late Show appearance.
The rock star said: “If you didn’t get on his show you didn’t feel you existed.
"I remember this when U2 got dropped from what would have been our first appearance, I got the bus all the way out to Howth to explain the Late Late Show was making a big mistake.”
Bono also recalled the time the band gifted Byrne with a Harley Davidson motorbike during his last ever Late Late Show in 1999.
“I think Kathleen [Byrne’s wife] thought we were trying to kill him,” he laughed.
“But he really loved the bike and wouldn’t get off it. Eventually, when I met him again, he said that Kathleen talked me down of it because she thought I was a danger to myself and others."
Bob Geldolf also looked back fondly on his first Late Late Show apperance telling of how the legendary broadcaster stuck up for him at the time.
Geldof said: “He represented everything that needed to be done away with and changed. I thought it would be the only time I’d be on television so everything had to be vented and thrown out.
“I was going on about how we’re all living in a terrible, immoral and corrupt country… But half way through my rant I realised that I was the one being spun out. The crowd started booing and telling me to shut up.
“Gay then turned to the audience and said ‘some of you are probably hating this, but your parents probably hated Elvis. Some of you probably remember your parents hating the Rolling Stones too, but these guys are going to be a very big band.”
RTE director general Dee Forbes said that Byrne was "one of a kind" and that the pioneering Late Late Show host "changed broadcasting".
The show also featured emotional performances from famous Irish artists including Finbar Furey, Mary Black, Sharon Shannon and Donal Lunney.
On Tuesday, Byrne was honoured by politicians in the Dail as TDs carried out a minute's silence.
A funeral service will take place for the RTE legend on Friday, November 8.
The mass will be held at St Mary's Pro-Cathedral on Marlborough Street in Dublin city centre at 12pm.
