The Meaning of Life with Gay Byrne

Gay Byrne discusses religion and spirituality with Andrea Corr, lead vocalist of the band The Corrs. Generally, Andrea Corr hates doing interviews, but flew in specially at her own expense for this one because of the man asking the questions. Andrea talks candidly to Gay Byrne about the difficulties of establishing a singing and acting career away from The Corrs; describes herself as a religious “junkie”; and reveals what she really thinks about her brother Jim’s eccentric conspiracy theories.

The Chieftains’ front man, Paddy Moloney, bears his soul to Gay Byrne, revealing how he once had a vision, while playing at Ground Zero, after 9/11. He relates the secret of his band’s longevity – separate tables, separate airline seats and separate hotel floors! – and explains why, despite trotting the globe, he still feels most at home in the Wicklow hills.

Fr. Shay Cullen’s work to protect women, children and the poor from exploitation and sex trafficking in the Philippines has earned him three Nobel Peace Prize nominations. But it has also attracted an on-going series of death threats, which, following the recent murder of a fellow missionary, he takes seriously. Here, the turbulent priest speaks his mind to Gay Byrne about the faith that motivates him to keep going in the face of evil.

Gay Byrne talks to non-believer, entrepreneur and adventurer Richard Branson. “I’ve never actually seen myself as a businessman, strangely.” Sir Richard Branson’s interview with Gay Byrne is full of surprises and contradictions. A non-believer, who envies the faith of his friends, Desmond Tutu and Jimmy Carter; the founder of a planet-saving “Carbon War Room”, whose own planes are burning up the atmosphere; and an adventurer whose lust for life has nearly cost him his own.

Gay Byrne has interviewed Bob Geldof many times, but having recently turned 60, the original Boomtown Rat was particularly revealing in this interview about the people, things and ideas which have given his life meaning. He insists there’s no God, nor even a God-shaped hole. Rage is still his “great animus”, compounded by the nagging pain of accumulated grief. But he’s also found happiness – a shock even to himself, which he describes in language as colourfully and brilliantly articulate as ever.

Mary Byrne doesn’t really do secrets. In a compelling interview with her hero, Gay Byrne, she tells him her way of handling what has been an eventful and colourful life, is to talk openly about everything. With Gay, she discusses with astonishing openness the way her life’s experiences have shaped her beliefs and values… and vice versa. She reveals how her parents were, in very different ways, her role models: her father, because he was a hard-working “saint” and her mother, because Mary was determined to learn from all her many mistakes. Mary saw how her Mum wasted her singing talent and became determined not to do the same.