Charles Daly, who died on June 26th, became for his generation, the human face of meteorology in Ireland. For nearly a decade during the 1960s he was the definitive edition of his genre, with a distinctive style still vividly remembered by all those old enough to have watched the television weather forecast thirty years ago.
"Weathercasting" techniques, as it is called nowdays, have much improved since he was in his prime. Now they do it with computers, but in Charlie's day - for he was not "Charles", but "Charlie" to his colleagues - the Telefis Eireann forecaster would stand beside a pair of boards assembled like a sash window. The weather maps were drawn on these in felt-tipped pen by the forecaster himself, and having carefully explained the details of the "today" chart, he would "open the window", so to speak, on tomorrow's weather by pushing the first map up and out of view to expose the second to the camera.
He undoubtedly was of the flamboyant school of meteorology. Everything he did was characterised by speed. He spoke rapidly, he moved quickly, and he prepared his forecasts with quite alarming haste. But then he was shrewd and very clever. He could look briefly at the highs and lows and fronts that decorate the weather map, and assimilate a three-dimensional concept of the current atmosphere that would take others several hours of laborious study to construct.
He would know intuitively the most likely way for the weather situation to develop.
Charles Daly was from Co Louth. He was born on January 11th, 1929, and spent his early years in Drogheda before receiving his secondary education at St Mary's College, Dundalk.
From there he availed of a scholarship to UCD, and having earned several awards for academic distinction on the way, he graduated with honours in mathematical science in 1951. Early in 1952 he joined what was then the Meteorological Service, now Met Eireann, to begin a career that a decade later was to make his name a household word.
His career progression followed normal lines. After initial training in the arts and crafts of meteorology at Dublin Airport he was transferred to Shannon, and there he was involved in aviation weather forecasting in the years when every transatlantic flight was an adventure.
In those days, aeroplanes could just about survive a flight from Ireland to the coast of Newfoundland if winds were favourable, and he was one of those who might say "go go go" or "don't" Then in March, 1961, he was transferred to CAFO.
The Central Analysis and Forecast Office in O'Connell St had been established that year specially to provide a weather service to the media and the general public.
There Charlie became a member of a trail-blazing team who explored an entirely new dimension in the art of weather forecasting. With George Callaghan, Seamus Miller, Michael Gilligan and Paddy MacHugh, he brought live weather to the nation on television screens illuminated by the newly established Telefis Eireann.
Charles Daly made his own of this new medium. His distinctive, somewhat staccato style ensured that he was always the one to be caricatured by the leading comedians of the day - probably the greatest compliment to which any media person can aspire.
His career on television lasted from 1962 to 1971. He was remembered by his fans long after he had moved back to aviation forecasting at Dublin Airport, where in due course he assumed charge of that office from 1982 to 1987.
As a finale to his career, he returned to the Central Analysis and Forecast Office.
Charles Daly retired in January, 1994. He is survived by his wife Maureen; his children Eamon; Jonathan; and Hilary, his brother Edward and sister Joan.
Charles Daly: born January 1929; died, June 2000