A stalwart of RTÉ’s The Sunday Game, he was described by his family as someone who “lived more presently than anyone”.
In the Victorian Chapel at Mount Jerome in Dublin, his son Jack spoke about the man behind the public persona, saying his father “shone the brightest” when his family was his only audience.
He shared the memories that shaped their life together, saying: “I remember handbrake turns in the snow and how much he loved his Ford Mondeo.
“I remember him kissing mum in the kitchen. I remember how his favourite meal was his own terrible cooking.
“I remember how much he loved us all and how much it meant to him that we loved him too. I remember kissing him on the cheek as a child leaving for school and I’ll always remember the last one I gave him on Saturday.
“I hope from these memories it’s clear that our dad was someone who lived more presently than perhaps anyone I know and perhaps anyone I ever will.”
The cortege arrives at Mount Jerome, Dulin.;Photo: Collins
Lyster, who died at the age of 71 last weekend, was a formidable presence on The Sunday Game, presenting 77 All-Ireland finals. He is survived by his wife Anne and children Mark, Rebecca, Ellen and Jack and his sister Anne.
In a tribute to him, GAA pundit and lawyer Joe Brolly described him as an “effortless broadcaster”.
“Michael understood that this was about entertainment and we were brought in to entertain. The fun, the fury, everybody talking about it,” the Sunday Independent columnist said.
Michael Lyster. Photo: Gerry Mooney
Today’s News in 90 Seconds, Thursday March 26
Mourners heard there had been an outpouring of “hundreds of condolences” from members of the public, former colleagues and public figures, including President Catherine Connolly, who was represented at the funeral by her aide-de-camp.
Originally from Dungarvan, Co Waterford, Lyster grew up in Co Galway and had his start in journalism with the Tuam Herald.
He moved in the late 1970s to RTÉ, where he began as a newsreader and then became anchor of The Sunday Game in 1984 until his retirement in 2018.
Former Cork hurler Tomás Mulcahy, former RTÉ producer Paul Byrnes and Joe Brolly at Michael Lyster’s funeral. Photo: Collins
Symbols brought up to his coffin by his children included a Led Zeppelin album, a hurley, rally gloves and a Corgi collectible Monkeemobile.
His friend, journalist Vincent Hogan, spoke of the 12 years they spent rally driving together, Lyster’s health scare over 10 years ago and his strength of character.
The pair were playing golf together in Galway in June, 2015, and later that day Lyster had a heart attack.
Hogan described his friend as exuding positivity and fun, even in the most challenging circumstances, even greeting him with a “How are you boss?” after the scare.
“But for me, there was a far more important thread running through every single sentence that I read and for Anne, for Mark, Rebecca, Ellen and Jack, for Michael’s sister, Anne, too,” he said.
“It spoke above all of an easy likeability, of a decency with people, of a complete absence of self-importance. It spoke of someone who was just endlessly, unbreakably sound and in this fulminating world we live in, that’s no small thing.”