Michael Lyster
Encyclopedia
Michael Lyster is a sports broadcaster with Raidió Teilifís Éireann
(RTÉ). He has presented The Sunday Game
on television since 1984 and is a Jacob's Award winner.
. He had always had a passion for writing. His first appointment was a junior reporter in the Tuam Herald
. He later moved to RTÉ Radio 2
, presenting Sports Desk.
Lyster then went on to front the coverage of the Gaelic Athletic Association
on RTÉ, and has presented The Sunday Game
since the 1984. The programme covers the All-Ireland Senior Football
and All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
s. In 1988, Lyster won a Jacob's Award for The Sunday Game.
Lyster has also presented sports programmes for RTÉ, including:
Since joining the station Lyster has covered seven Olympic Games
. The first was in Moscow
in 1980 whilst he working for Radio Sport. In 1984 he made his television Olympic debut, co-hosting with Moya Doherty
on Daybreak LA (RTÉ's first venture into breakfast television).
In 2007, he took part in the RTÉ programme, Celebrity Jigs 'n' Reels
.
which he has enjoyed since the early 1990s. He has partook in many main events including the Cork International Rally where he finished third in 1992, the Circuit of Ireland Rally
and the Killarney Rally of the Lakes
. His co-driver is Irish Independent
sports writer Vincent Hogan.
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
(RTÉ). He has presented The Sunday Game
The Sunday Game
The Sunday Game is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's main Gaelic games television programme. It is shown on RTÉ Two every Sunday during the Football Championship and Hurling Championship seasons. It is one of RTÉ Two’s longest-running shows, having been on air since 1979, one year after the channel first...
on television since 1984 and is a Jacob's Award winner.
Career
Lyster began his career working in a sugar factory in TuamTuam
Tuam is a town in County Galway, Ireland. The name is pronounced choo-um . It is situated west of the midlands of Ireland, and north of Galway city.-History:...
. He had always had a passion for writing. His first appointment was a junior reporter in the Tuam Herald
Tuam Herald
The Tuam Herald is a weekly Irish newspaper, founded in 1837 by Richard Kelly, which serves the town of Tuam and County Galway. It has a circulation of about 10,000 copies.Jim Carney...
. He later moved to RTÉ Radio 2
RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.- History :...
, presenting Sports Desk.
Lyster then went on to front the coverage of the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
on RTÉ, and has presented The Sunday Game
The Sunday Game
The Sunday Game is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's main Gaelic games television programme. It is shown on RTÉ Two every Sunday during the Football Championship and Hurling Championship seasons. It is one of RTÉ Two’s longest-running shows, having been on air since 1979, one year after the channel first...
since the 1984. The programme covers the All-Ireland Senior Football
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
and All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
s. In 1988, Lyster won a Jacob's Award for The Sunday Game.
Lyster has also presented sports programmes for RTÉ, including:
- Horse racingHorse racingHorse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
- MotorsportMotorsportMotorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
- Greyhound racingGreyhound racingGreyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
- Athletics
- Rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
- Association football
Since joining the station Lyster has covered seven Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
. The first was in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
in 1980 whilst he working for Radio Sport. In 1984 he made his television Olympic debut, co-hosting with Moya Doherty
Moya Doherty
Moya Doherty is a Dublin-raised Irish entrepreneur and the producer and co-founder of Riverdance, the worldwide acclaimed theatrical phenomenon, which premiered in Dublin’s Point Theatre in February 1995...
on Daybreak LA (RTÉ's first venture into breakfast television).
In 2007, he took part in the RTÉ programme, Celebrity Jigs 'n' Reels
Celebrity Jigs 'n' Reels
Celebrity Jigs n' Reels is an Irish reality entertainment television show broadcast on RTÉ One. It is produced by Mind The Gap Films.-Format:The series started out with seven celebrities paired with professional Irish dancers...
.
Personal life
Lyster has been interested in rally drivingRallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
which he has enjoyed since the early 1990s. He has partook in many main events including the Cork International Rally where he finished third in 1992, the Circuit of Ireland Rally
Circuit of Ireland Rally
The Circuit of Ireland International Rally is an annual automobile rally, which was first held in 1931 making it the second oldest rally in the world. The most recent event was held in 2010....
and the Killarney Rally of the Lakes
Rally of the Lakes
The Rally of the Lakes takes place each year on May bank holiday weekend. The rally has been running since 1979 and in 2008 the rally formed the third round in the 2008 Global Group Irish Tarmac Rally Championship and revamped its brand identity to reflect its position as one of Ireland's leading...
. His co-driver is Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
sports writer Vincent Hogan.