Gerry Ryan's partner speaks of heartbreak over his death

GERRY RYAN’S partner Melanie Verwoerd last night issued a statement speaking of her heartbreak a year after the broadcaster’s sudden death.

The anniversary will be marked this morning by a private memorial Mass at St John the Baptist Church in Clontarf, where Ryan was baptised and married, and where his funeral service was held. It is being organised by his wife, Morah, and the couple’s children.

Ms Verwoerd has not been invited. She made no reference to the Mass in her statement.

Ms Verwoerd found the body of the broadcaster in his Leeson Street apartment a year ago today. A postmortem found traces of cocaine in his system.

In a statement to mark the anniversary of his death, Ms Verwoerd said: “I feel extremely blessed to love and have been loved by Gerry. It was an extraordinary privilege to have shared the last years of his life with him. Even though it was a very difficult time for him, we shared so much happiness, contentedness and fun.

“The 30th of April will always be filled with horrific memories and sadness for me – as it will be for all those who loved Gerry. However, I also want to remember the happy times and above all the great man that Gerry was – funny,clever, generous, kind and gentle. His insistence on living life to the full meant that he gave himself completely to everything and all that he came in contact with – leaving no one untouched.

“On this anniversary of his death, my heart goes out to all those who loved Gerry, but in particular to the children that shared his life. He was a great father figure not only to his five children but also to my two children. I know that they all miss him beyond description.

“Just over a year ago I pointed out a cherry blossom tree in full bloom to Gerry. I reminded him that even in the darkest times there is beauty around us and I assured him that the horrible time he was going through will also pass. Then we made a promise: next spring when the cherry tree flowers again, we will have champagne under the tree, laugh about the difficult times of 2010 and celebrate a new future. He died two days later.

“Over the last few weeks the tree has been flowering again, but instead of champagne and laughter there is only heartbreak and silence, left by his passing. The cherry blossoms will forever remind me of Gerry. It is impossible to describe the void his death has left in my life. I will always love him. I will always miss him.”

RTÉ has no plans to mark today’s anniversary with a tribute programme but presenters are free to mark it in their own way. Yesterday morning his friend Dave Fanning played a blues song for Ryan and described him as the “funniest person I ever met”.