Candle in The Wind...........

Little did I know when I started this blog last week that my second post would be on such a sad subject.

For a dear old friend, someone I haven’t met for a number of years but whose public life I always followed, has passed on. I write of Gerry Ryan of course, that broadcaster extraordinaire, showman, friend, family man and above all that vibrant, glorious human being.
I decided to blog only about Gerry today, for to talk of anything else right now would feel disloyal and superfluous.

I worked with Gerry on ‘Big D’ radio many moons ago; myself, Gerry and Dave Fanning were among others who in the late 1970's all threw our youthful enthusiasm behind the pirate radio station in a bid to challenge what we saw as a staid state-owned broadcaster. We had great, great fun with the station and played some wonderful music for our many fans. Eventually we were raided by the Gardai and shut down and we all moved onto other things. Gerry and Dave of course stayed in radio, moving onto the very RTE we had all challenged, and I moved back to my first love hair-dressing.

We kept in touch on and off over the years and I remember in particular a great chat I had with Gerry on his show in June 1989. It was the morning of Mandy Smith’s wedding to the Rolling Stone’s Bill Wyman. I was hair and make-up artist to the bride as well as a guest at the wedding and I talked to Gerry and the nation from the hotel. We had such a laugh. That’s what I will remember most about Gerry - laughter.

I lit a candle for Gerry today and as I prayed for him I watched the little flame dancing in a draft from somewhere. Our lives are so short aren’t they? Some unfortunately shorter than others and we should all aim to burn as brightly as we can, dance with life and bring comfort and support to friends and family during our brief burning.

Gerry’s was a very bright and merry flame and it certainly burned fiercely whilst it lasted. It seems incredible that he is no more. Rest well my friend.