Ryan’s voice back on radio as friends pay warm tributes

Gerry Ryan’s distinct voice was back on the airwaves yesterday as two of his closest friends paid tribute to him on breakfast radio to mark the fourth anniversary of his death.

Today FM’s Ian Dempsey played a clip of the larger-than-life DJ talking about his favourite radio moment while on 2FM, close pal Ryan Tubridy told how losing his friend and mentor was “one of the saddest days of my life”.

Dempsey may be on a rival radio station but he played a 10-minute tribute yesterday to the unique voice on the airwaves to mark the 20th anniversary of Gerry Ryan hosting the Eurovision and the anniversary of his death.

He said: “Today is the fourth anniversary of the death of Irish radio superstar Gerry Ryan.

“We haven’t seen or heard his like since his untimely passing in 2010. Let us once again celebrate his brilliant ordinariness G Ryan”.

Tubridy also spoke of his deep sadness at the loss of the ratings-topping legend.

He said: “Gerry Ryan died four years ago today. Can you believe that? That was one of the saddest moments in my life because I had never had a friend die and a mentor.

“He was a phone call away from ‘What do you think? This is place is crazy. What do you think? What would you do?”

On air yesterday, he recalled how medium Catherine McDonnell told him his late pal had paid him a visit in the in his studio live on air two years ago.

He said: “We talked to a medium here before.

“We had somebody in studio who said ‘I’m talking to Gerry now’. I said ‘Where is he?’

“She said ‘he’s at your shoulder. He’s laughing and he’s his hand on your shoulder’.

“We put it out there and it’s up to the listener to decide whether they believe he is or was there but even the most sceptical person like me would go still whatever you just said makes me smile.