Time and Tide

A poignant and introspective memoir from Irish journalist and broadcaster Charlie Bird.

In 2021, Charlie Bird was diagnosed with motor neurone disease – a man whose voice was so synonymous with his career faced losing it completely. Yet knowing he had just a short time left with family and friends, what emerged was a great sense of resilience and motivation to take advantage of every moment.

Here, Charlie reflects on his life and phenomenal broadcast career through the lense of his diagnosis, as he ponders the big questions and takes stock of the small moments that we so often overlook.

Written over the course of 2022 as his health deteriorated, with the help of long-time friend and fellow journalist Ray Burke, this is a candid and unforgettable story about the triumph of the human spirit and, ultimately, what it means to be alive.

Reviews

‘A hugely moving account of coming to terms with one’s own mortality and a frankly useful guide to others in a similar situation … It is an account of our times, an insider’s view into some of our country’s most important moments. And it is a story of love, friendship and family, and how the people in our lives sustain us through the worst of times.’Sunday Independent

‘Charlie told it as he saw it. He does exactly that here.’ – Frank Coughlan, Irish Independent

About the author

Charlie Bird is one of Ireland’s most well known journalists and has had a long and distinguished career in Irish public service broadcasting. In 1974 he joined RTE as a current affairs researcher and in 1980 he joined the newsroom as a reporter. In a career which spanned almost four decades he held a number of positions; Chief News Reporter; Special
Correspondent; Chief News Correspondent and Washington Correspondent. Over those years he was involved in many foreign assignments and also reported extensively on humanitarian stories around the world. Charlie also covered the troubles in Northern Ireland and the peace process. For over ten years he was RTE’s designated link to the IRA. In November 2004 he was awarded an honorary doctorate of laws by University College Dublin for his outstanding services to Irish Journalism and in April 2015, he chaired the launch of the historic ‘Yes Equality’ marriage campaign.