Gay Byrne will return to his Lyric FM show, RTÉ have confirmed.

The State broadcaster moved to end speculation that the show was to end.

At the conclusion of his radio show on Sunday he thanked listeners for tuning in and said: “That’s all I can say”, before quoting a line from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.

“If we shall meet again in the autumn, why then, we shall smile, if not, why then, this parting word well made. And all of those good things.”

Heart attack

A spokeswoman for RTÉ said Byrne’s show finishes up at the end of March every year and that he would be returning as usual in the autumn.

the veteran broadcaster suffered a heart attack last year, prompting speculation he would take a step back from broadcasting.

Since his retirement, the 81-year-old former Late Late Show host has continued to broadcast on radio with a weekly show on Lyric FM every Sunday.

He also continues his Meaning of Life television series, which features interviews with public figures about their beliefs.