Gerry Ryan in BAI hall of fame

The late Gerry Ryan’s widow Morah made a rare public appearance this morning for the unveiling of the broadcasting hall of fame.

Ryan, who died in April 2010, is one of 11 broadcasters, who have been included in the hall of fame which has been erected at the offices of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI).

Mrs Ryan was accompanied by two of the couple’s daughters Lottie and Bonnie.

Lottie Ryan said it was a “fantastic feeling to see my dad hanging among all the radio greats in the Hall of Fame.

“We are all delighted that his talent has been officially acknowledged.”

All 11 previous recipients of the Phonographic Performance Ireland (PPI) lifetime achievement award are included in the hall of fame.

They are Candi Devine, Des Whelan, Gay Byrne, Gerry Ryan, Jimmy Magee, Larry Gogan, Marian Finucane, Mario Rosenstock, Michéal O’ Muircheartaigh, Ronan O’Rahilly and Séan Ban Breathnach.

All living presenters except Finucane turned up for today’s unveiling.

Rosenstock admitted there had been a mixed reaction to his much anticipated television sketch show which started on RTÉ 2 on Monday night.

He confirmed that his “Richie Banker” on Mastermind sketch was based directly on the testy exchange between independent TD Stephen Donnelly and Bank of Ireland chief executive Richie Boucher at the Oireachtas Committee on Finance last week.

“I had a look at the transcript and I borrowed phrases from it,” he said.

Rosenstock said there had been a mixed reaction to the first episode of the series which featured a controversial sketch of a couple being evicted from their home as if they were being evicted from the Big Brother House.

The 41-year-old impressionist said he was part of a generation who were in negative equity as a result of the banks and his controversial sketch about an evicted family was motivated by concern for people in that position.

“A person of my age is in the very position of being in an absolutely serious amount of negative equity. It's not like I'm 65 and I borrowed €50,000. I borrowed a lot more than that and I’m deeply in negative equity.”

“The reaction has been big. In an ideal world, in a world of luvviedom, all you do is that you want is for people to love you.

“The reaction hasn’t been universally positive, but it has been mainly positive and I love the fact that it has created as much talk as it has. I’m delighted about that.”