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Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Gerry Ryan's sad death brought about by dreadful depression more than drugs

Posted on Saturday, December 11, 2010 at 12:42 AM

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It has become completely obvious that Gerry Ryan, Ireland's best known media personality, was suffering a complete nervous breakdown when he died of a heart complication in April this year.

His death sent shock waves throughout Ireland.

Google just revealed that his death was the most sought after domestic story all year.

It seemed impossible that the cheeky, hilarious, glad handing Ryan -- think a slightly more reserved Howard Stern --- had died so tragically and so young at 53.

The sad part is that Ryan, despite all his wealth and power was unable to see what was happening to him, that he was in the midst of a profound depression.

Like so many other powerful people he seemed unable to address his own mortality and get desperately needed counselling as his world crashed down around him.

Ryan had been through a crushing separation from his wife, had financial problems and was also taking drugs -- cocaine was found in his system.

But, perhaps, because he was Gerry Ryan, he was unable to realize just how out of control his life had become.

Yet it is all there in the words of his new girlfriend Melanie Verwoerd

"He was extremely unwell and under an extreme amount of stress in the last few months, particularly in the last two weeks," she told the inquest.

"He was trying to sort out the terms of his separation."

She said he was under "enormous pressure from RTE and his work", as well as financial difficulties,

"He was under enormous financial pressure and it started to take a toll. In the last two weeks, he barely slept, ever."

She said he woke between 3am and 5am for the last 10 days of his life.

During those early morning hours , he "suffered heart palpitations and breathlessness. Bouts of dizziness began to affect him .

"I begged him to go to the doctor but he said it was just panic attacks."

Panic attacks?

Sounds more like a complete breakdown.

Gerry Ryan needed psychiatric care at that point, someone to help shine a light on his brain and see what was really bothering him.

"He'd go grey and complain of pressure in his heart," she said.

On his last night alive "He used a very Gerry phrase," she said. "He said, 'I'm totally banjaxed.'"

Banjaxed" is Dublinese for utterly kaput.

A few hours later his prophetic words came through and he died of an arrhythmia, likely brought on by stress and some cocaine use.

But perhaps her saddest words related to his state of mind "It is most important to remember that Gerry was a showman, that he wanted to keep the face up," she said.

How many Irish people could that refer to --- the need above all to save face to keep the show going.

Alas, for Gerry Ryan, his inability to seek top professional help may have cost him his life.

But hopefully others will listen and learn

And his needless death will accomplish some good.

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17 Comments

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barnie4001 | Oct 26, 2012, 04:57 AM EDT

Melanie Verwoerd s book selling well now despite the back stabbers,good luck to her

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MHadnett | Jan 07, 2011, 10:04 PM EST

explains why he was such a mouthy man - always one to criticize drug suppliers and drug takers. stones, glass houses. . . nontheless, RIP JR

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Silling | Dec 26, 2010, 10:14 AM EST

If Bushmills put whiskey in the water to save the freezing fish, it would not be sending the right message to poachers. Besides, inebriated fish can explode if cooked on a barbecue.

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Liamkeyes | Dec 22, 2010, 10:54 AM EST

My sympathies go out to Gerry's Family. Cocaine with Brandy and Whiskey is a lethal mixture. It's time that the youth of Ireland be educated about the drugs then maybe Gerry will not have died in vain.

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Liamkeyes | Dec 14, 2010, 06:42 PM EST

Banjaxed is a polite way of saying Bollixed.

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mcdolan | Dec 13, 2010, 03:09 AM EST

He was a true professional -- keep the show going etc. -- but it cost him his life. So sad. I miss him, his humour and his humanity. There's a lesson here...but so many of us fail to see it. I think a lot of the previous comments are too harsh. We are all human and subject to gross mistakes.

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Dublinjas | Dec 13, 2010, 12:43 AM EST

Gerry Ryan as much as anyone contributed to the murder and mayhem that all coke users contribute too because of their support of the criminal cockroaches who supply the demand for this obnoxious soul destroying substance. While I can sympathize with his loved one on his passing, I have to say that the info has been out there a long time about the damage coke can do to the human heart,therefore Gerry was well warned, and by all accounts spent hundreds of thousands of Euro on his filthy habit. All this mans problems health financial and relationship are Classic among heavy drug users. So before we beatify him lets reflect on that.

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ballyhip | Dec 12, 2010, 12:54 PM EST

Yes, granted that most Irish-Americans wouldn't know who Gerry Ryan was but some of us listen to RTE radio via streaming, i. e. Ask Joe, Marianne Finucane, etc. Many of us have lived lives that we would never relive if we could. GR won't even get that chance.

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mayoman | Dec 12, 2010, 10:50 AM EST

Could it be that he died of a combination of stress and coke? A lethal duo when you're past 50.

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bogsidebunny | Dec 12, 2010, 10:26 AM EST

The guy was an ex-hippie coke head and his heart exploded. His fault.... Darwin rules!

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kateomprint | Dec 12, 2010, 10:21 AM EST

I didn't like Gerry Ryan on the Radio because I found him to be totally self obsessed. His opinion was the only one that counted. Had he not talked to enough people over the years about the use of drugs to keep going to learn a lesson from them. People in Ireland are trying to turn him into some sort of a saint. He was just a mere mortal with the same problems as everybody else but tried to take the easy route to sort them out.

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paricaliswishes | Dec 12, 2010, 06:05 AM EST

Decent people should'nt touch show business.

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cuddlybuddly | Dec 12, 2010, 05:24 AM EST

I miss Gerry Ryan- not for his "D4 drug addled celebrity" side but for his down to earth compassionate side...THAT is something I experienced listening to G Ryan every morning during turbulent depressing times here in Ireland. He was that best friend, that kind tolerant human being that sadly was not there for himself in his own hour of need. I sense Gerry's troubled soul even after his death, being sensitive to energies. He is still 'in bits' over something that perhaps we don't know about yet. Gerry needs our compassion now, and I for one am happy to give it. The celebrity bullshit is simply that..what this world creates and we are all responsible for that. The unequal money system in RTE, the greed and the secret fears inside them..always knowing something is not quite right in RTE....some bullshit reigns supreme for now, that is.

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Monsoonman | Dec 11, 2010, 11:27 AM EST

Wikileaks just came out with a new revelation concerning the Vatican, the Pope and Ireland. I would write it somewhere else but there is no category on Irish Central to write it so here it is: Pope Benedict refused to allow Vatican officials to testify in an investigation by an Irish commission into alleged child sex abuse by priests, according to U.S. diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks, The Guardian newspaper reported. Benedict was also reportedly furious when Vatican officials were called upon in Rome, The Guardian reported Saturday. The Murphy Commission of Inquiry into sexual and physical abuse "offended many in the Vatican," according to a cable dated February 26, 2010. "The Vatican believes the Irish government failed to respect and protect Vatican sovereignty during the investigations," it said.

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Monsoonman | Dec 11, 2010, 11:17 AM EST

Good piece Niall: You sum it up perfectly with this: "But hopefully others will listen and learn And his needless death will accomplish some good".

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