News
Michael Lyster: A fixture of Killarney motorsport
The Irish rallying community has been saddened by the death of Michael Lyster, who passed away on 21 March 2026.
While primarily known as the long-standing presenter of RTÉ’s The Sunday Game, Lyster was a dedicated motorsport enthusiast and a frequent visitor to Killarney for the Rally of the Lakes over several decades.
He was a regular competitor in Kerry as both a driver and a co-driver.
A major highlight of his rallying career came in 1992 when he navigated for the late Enda Nolan in a Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth, finishing fourth overall in the Rally of the Lakes. During the early 1990s, when the event was still held in the winter, he also competed behind the wheel of a Talbot Sunbeam.
Lyster’s involvement in the county extended to the Circuit of Kerry and the Banna (Kerry Winter) Rally. Outside of his own driving, he frequently co-drove for Killarney’s Mike O’Leary on events across the country.
In more recent years, he remained a central part of the local motorsport scene, serving as the official MC for the Rally of the Lakes in 2016 and 2017, and returning for the event’s 40th anniversary in 2019.
His professional broadcasting experience made him a natural fit for the start and finish ramps, where he brought a genuine passion for the sport to the prize-giving ceremonies.
An unassuming presence in the service parks and on the stages, his contribution to the sport and his connection to Killarney will be remembered by the many who knew him through rallying.


