The end of the (Ryan) line

Gerry Ryan passed away suddenly last Friday morning . At 53 he was young to lose his life and naturally his family and friends are devastated . The whole country seems to share their loss and it is the main topic of conversation for many  who come into our shop . Like him or loathe him , people always had an opinion on G Ryan .

I heard one person say that they mourned family members and close friends but not a celebrity who they never met .  It’s a good point but I think that people are mourning a part of themselves and what he gave them . We are all creatures of habit . For many , part of their day included three hours each workday morning listening to the Ryan show . Sometimes shocking , sometimes sincere , sometimes more interesting than others but his show always gave the hope of an insight that might just make your day or sometimes even your life that little bit more interesting .

His descriptions of trips to New York always made me want to stay in Fitzgerald’s in Manhattan and go toy shopping in FAO Schwartz after a stroll in Central Park . His family summer holiday in Florida seemed like the ultimate way to bond with your kids over a milkshake in Disneyland and every time he gave the intricate details of some fantastic meal he had in a place like Shanahans on the green I found myself putting a sun-dried tomato in my plain ould ham and cheese sandwiches at lunch time to try to jazz them up a little .

I won’t miss Gerry Ryan like I would a close friend or family member , but I will miss the potential gravy that he gave to every meat and two veg kind of day .

Barry

www.worldwidecycles.com