Numerous reports have surfaced that broadcaster Gerry Ryan was in financial turmoil before he died of a suspected heart attack.

Even though his salary was close to $1 million a year, Ryan had suffered financial setbacks, according to the Sunday Independent newspaper.
 
Records held at the Companies Office show that Ryan had borrowed close to $350,000 even as his salary was being increased in RTE, the national radio station where he worked.

Rumors have abounded in Ireland that Ryan had invested in the tanking property market, but no direct evidence of that has surfaced. There have also been reports that he had invested in bank stocks that also plummeted.

His close friend and colleague at RTE, Marion Finucane, stated it was clearly evident he was under pressure.

Referring to an encounter she had with him just three days before his body was found, Finucane said, "He was really very, very stressed. He was stressed about RTE. He was stressed about other things outside in his life and I know that when people try to figure out what happened . . . I have heard a number of people mention that [stress] might have been what caused difficulties for him."

Businessman Graeme Beere who dined with Ryan the night before he died hinted to the Sunday Independent that financial difficulties were part of the problem.

"We're all stressed and we did discuss other personal things here and there, but not the type of dire circumstances that I've been reading about. It was more everyday stress that everybody in the country is going through at the moment," he said.

"There's nobody that hasn't been affected. Gerry had had a 10 per cent wage cut. His costs had gone up with the house, but Gerry was a positive guy and he just got on with life. He spent more time worrying about other people."

"I can't speak of what I don't know, but I can tell you for a fact that he didn't ask me for money and he would know me well enough that if he was stuck. I'm not saying I'm totally flush myself, but certainly he would've been able to bring it up with me."