Death of Gerry Ryan

RTÉ broadcaster Gerry Ryan died on 30 April 2010, aged 53. Ryan had been presenting The Gerry Ryan Show since 1988 and at the time of his death had the largest audience on RTÉ 2fm.^[1][2] Ryan also hosted several television series, including Secrets, Gerry Ryan Tonight, Ryantown, Gerry Ryan's Hitlist and Operation Transformation and Ryan Confidential, as well as one edition of The Late Late Show in 2008. Ryan co-presented the Eurovision Song Contest 1994 with Cynthia Ní Mhurchú. He died sixteen years later at his Upper Leeson Street apartment in Dublin, with his body found by his partner Melanie Verwoerd. The broadcaster had split from his wife Morah in 2008; the couple had five children together.

Ryan's death provoked tributes from politicians, colleagues and ordinary people alike, culminating in a mass outpouring of public and private sympathy as thousands of people queued over several days to sign books of condolence at RTÉ's radio centre and the Mansion House. The media and psychotherapists compared this to public reaction following the deaths of Michael Jackson and Diana, Princess of Wales.^[3][4][5] His death was spoken in terms such as "practically br[inging] Ireland to a standstill",^[6] having "a seismic effect on Irish society"^[7] and having "shocked the Irish nation".^[8] The Irish Times reported that its website had the biggest traffic spike since its launch following Ryan's death.^[9] Google said it was the most searched story of the year in the country.^[10]

It subsequently emerged, following an inquest in December 2010, that the broadcaster was a heavy alcohol drinker and cocaine user,^[11] and that cocaine was a contributory factor in his death.^[12] This led to comparisons, including from broadcaster Marian Finucane^[13] and drugs minister Pat Carey,^[14] with the 2007 death of model Katy French. According to journalist Kevin Myers, Ryan's usage of cocaine surprised many of those who mourned his sudden death and, he said, this realisation of double standards has upset much of the public.^[15] RTÉ admitted that it had censored coverage of Ryan's cocaine habit.^[16]

A media debate on the ethics of both journalism and Twitter, through which many people discovered Ryan had died, ensued after his death.^{[9][17][18][19]} The manner in which some RTÉ personalities reported the death led to RTÉ bringing in new rules on how its stars should use Twitter.^[20][21] Ryan's funeral on 6 May 2010 was broadcast live online and to his listeners on RTÉ 2fm, marking the first time in its history that the predominantly musical station aired a Mass. The ceremony included performances from both U2 and Westlife. Ryan was buried privately at Dardistown Cemetery in Cloghran. Several posthumous lifetime achievement awards have since been collected by the Ryan family on behalf of Gerry.^[22][23]