I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way...

GERRY RYAN managed to do what very few broadcasters achieve: Go from pirate radio jock to solid, middle-aged presenter and still keep a young audience by continuing to stay looking and sounding cool.

For 22 years his weekday talk programme on RTÉ 2fm became one of the most listened to radio shows in Ireland and, while he has not been without his critics, he managed to keep his daytime radio slot even when all about him were losing theirs.

Like many broadcasters in Ireland, Ryan began his career on pirate radio, working part-time first for Alternative Radio Dublin and then for Big D. When RTÉ launched Radio 2 in 1979 they deliberately looked to pirate radio presenters to help them win back young listeners and Gerry was an obvious choice.