‘He understood people, he listened, he’s irreplaceable’

DENISE WARREN carried two pale pink roses and two decades of memories as she stood outside the church to remember Gerry Ryan.

“I rang into him once,” recalled the mother of two grown-up children who she reared to the sound of Gerry on the radio.

“It was a long time ago, with a personal, emotional problem. I felt when I had nobody else to listen to me, I knew he would.

“And he did. Then other people rang in to comment and it validated what my opinion was. It validated me. I don’t know who’ll sort out our problems now. He’s irreplaceable.”

That was a sentiment expressed time and again among the 1,000 or so members of the public who gathered on a chill grey May day without a hint of impending summer to say farewell to a man few had met but all regarded as a friend.

“He was one of a kind, a once in a lifetime person,” said Ann Campbell, a counsellor who envied the broadcaster’s natural ability to empathise. “No matter who he spoke to, no matter what they were speaking out, he understood them. He just got people.”

Her friend, Siobhán Malone, one of the legions of mums used to being accompanied by Gerry on the household chores, said she would miss his humour. “You would have laugh-out-loud moments in the car,” she said. “That’s a gift.”

Paul Scurry liked the rant-out-loud moments. Self-employed for years, he had Gerry in his van with him every day.

“I loved listening to him when he was giving out about the banks and that kind of thing because he spoke for the ordinary person. He was a people’s person and he told it like it was.”

Two of those lining the street outside the church weren’t even born when Gerry started broadcasting but still regarded themselves among his strongest fans.

Daryl Cannon, a sixth year student, and Ross Kennedy, in fifth year, both took the day off school to attend the funeral and were happy to face the reservations of parents and potential wrath of teachers to do so.

“My parents said, but you didn’t know him. But as I said, from listening to him, you felt that you did know him,” said Ross.

Daryl is hoping to follow in Gerry’s footsteps with a career in broadcasting but, just like his hero, has applied to study law as a back-up.

“He was the best. He appealed to all ages, he knew so many different subjects, he could be serious and funny. I just really admired him.”

Rose Casey from Darragh, near Ennis, Co Clare, had come to represent family, friends and the patients at St Joseph’s Geriatric Hospital where she works.

“I was up at half four this morning to get the train. I was just so shocked when I heard he’d died. Old people loved him. Even the ones who were more Gay Byrne’s generation. He won them all over. He’ll be badly missed.”