Legendary broadcaster Marian Finucane who died in her sleep yesterday was due to become a grandmother next month for the first time, it has been revealed.
The 69-year-old radio star passed away on Thursday after taking an afternoon nap at her Kildare home.
Heartfelt tributes were paid by fellow broadcasters to Marian who was described as a "voice of reason".
Friend and colleague Joe Duffy revealed she had taken time off to attend a wedding in India before returning to spend Christmas at home with her family.
Duffy, who took over the RTÉ Liveline radio show from the broadcasting giant, said: “She invented Liveline and she was the voice of reason.
“It was her welcoming voice, her charming voice, everyone knew they’d get a fair hearing off Marian, albeit a priest, a Prime Minister, a politician or even just an ordinary citizen phoning in with their story.
“They knew it would be fair because she’d ask everything we [the listeners] wanted to ask before we’d make our mind up.
“She was a most gracious, welcoming voice and personality; [she had] a fantastic personality, a fantastic sense of humour.”
It was certainly a day to remember recently when the lovely Marian Finucane married her long term partner, John Clarke in January 2015.
They tied the knot and rubber stamped their long-standing romance after more than 30 years together in perfect style.
The couple wed in a low-key ceremony in a Dublin Registry Office and the bride looked simply stunning in a beautiful black and grey ensemble and a fedora hat.
The groom sported a large red rose in the jacket of a black three-piece suit complete with a white shirt and silver tie.
Keeping the wedding low key came as no surprise as the RTE Radio 1 presenter liked to keep her private life to herself, previously saying, “I did a deal with myself that I chose a job in the public eye and my family didn’t, so I actually rarely ever talk about them”.
Marian is survived by her husband John and son Jack.
She was predeceased by her eight year-old daughter Sinead, who died from leukaemia in 1990.
