It's the end of an era for Irish GAA.

RTÉ has today confirmed that sports broadcaster Michael Lyster will retire after this year's GAA Championship. He will continue to present RTÉ's Allianz League Sunday and to anchor The Sunday Game Live until then.

Michael joined RTÉ in 1979 and has presented The Sunday Game since 1984.

He said, "I'll be hanging up my hat at the end of 2018. I've a full season of top-class GAA action to get through with the National Leagues and of course the Championships this summer and that's what I'm focused on. There are some really exciting changes to come in this year's Championship and I'm looking forward to seeing how they will impact the game.

"Following my health scare a few years ago, every day and every year was a bonus. That's the mindset I've continued to have and I feel incredibly lucky to have another season to look forward to at the helm."

63-year-old Lyster suffered a major heart attack in June 2015 and later disclosed that he had suffered from a heart condition for a number of years prior to the attack.

We wish him well in his retirement - it's hard to imagine The Sunday Game without him.

RTÉ will announce the new anchor for The Sunday Game Live from 2019 in due course.