Disgraceful Gerry Ryan Condolence Book

Vivara

I visited RTÉ Cork today on Father Matthew Quay and was appalled at the Book of Condolences that they had put up for the late Gerry Ryan.

Firstly, there was a rude woman sitting behind the desk who kept shouting into the phone as if she liked the sound of her own voice — she didn't acknowledge us either.

More importantly, the actual book itself is nothing more than a hard-back copy with R.I.P. Gerry Ryan written in illegible-I-fancy-my-own-penmanship handwriting.

None of the messages are numbered so they will have no idea how many people signed it because everyone just decided to format their message in any way they deemed appropriate.

The hard-back copy itself isn't even a nice one. I am contemplating going down to Eason and purchasing a nice book and printing a picture of Mr. Ryan to display.

It was nothing short of a disgrace that was thrown together.

/end rant

Regards,
Ed.

simu

Well, do the numbers really matter? I presume this book will end up in the hands of GR's family - surely the most important thing is that there are nice messages in it for them to read?

run_Forrest_run

well there's a man on radio 1 at 13:45 today who may listen to you...

simu

simu wrote: »

Well, do the numbers really matter? I presume this book will end up in the hands of GR's family - surely the most important thing is that there are nice messages in it for them to read?

+ 1

I'm sure the family won't be bothered about the formatting etc.

nice1franko

If that's the height of your problems you're doing alright Ed.

corkcomp

nice1franko wrote: »

If that's the height of your problems you're doing alright Ed.

+1 .. its the thought that counts .. who gives a sh1t about the mannerisms of the person on the desk or the type of book used

Bill-e

Loud noises!

Bodhidharma

To be honest i'm surprised there was a book of condolences in Cork. I'm even more surprised people were actually in a queue to sign it. Do people have nothing better to do or is it some sort of mass hysteria?

20goto10

Bodhidharma wrote: »

Do people have nothing better to do

Hit the nail on the head there. the sort of people that listen to day time radio chat shows to be exact.

Funkfield

Bill-e wrote: »

Loud noises!

L My F'n A O!

bored and fussy

I am not too bothered about the book and how it looks, its the messages that will comfort the family.
But can someone tell me who made joe duffy chief mourner, when i believe all he was, was someone he met at the water cooler . people like dave fanning, pat kenny, and ryan tubridy were more dignified and got on with their jobs, even ryan tubridy went like everyone else to the mansion house to sign the book there Joe duffy sickened me.

cornbb

bored and fussy wrote: »

I am not too bothered about the book and how it looks, its the messages that will comfort the family.
But can someone tell me who made joe duffy chief mourner, when i believe all he was, was someone he met at the water cooler . people like dave fanning, pat kenny, and ryan tubridy were more dignified and got on with their jobs, even ryan tubridy went like everyone else to the mansion house to sign the book there Joe duffy sickened me.

I'm not a fan of either of them by any means, but from what I gather they've been close buddies since the 70s.

As for the state of the book, agreed, jeez, get a life...

Dudess

Vivara wrote: »

I visited RTÉ Cork today on Father Matthew Quay and was appalled at the Book of Condolences that they had put up for the late Gerry Ryan.

Firstly, there was a rude woman sitting behind the desk who kept shouting into the phone as if she liked the sound of her own voice — she didn't acknowledge us either.

More importantly, the actual book itself is nothing more than a hard-back copy with R.I.P. Gerry Ryan written in illegible-I-fancy-my-own-penmanship handwriting.

None of the messages are numbered so they will have no idea how many people signed it because everyone just decided to format their message in any way they deemed appropriate.

The hard-back copy itself isn't even a nice one. I am contemplating going down to Eason and purchasing a nice book and printing a picture of Mr. Ryan to display.

It was nothing short of a disgrace that was thrown together.

/end rant

Regards,
Ed.

Isn't it enough that there was a book of condolences in the first place?

Bock the Robber

So, will all bereaved families be comforted with books of condolence in future?

Stark

Vivara wrote: »

I am contemplating going down to Eason and purchasing a nice book and printing a picture of Mr. Ryan to display.

Good luck finding a picture where he doesn't look smug.

Gigiwagga

What's the problem here, as if Mr Ryan cares a sausage. The country is in the toilet. Op needs to get a grasp on reality here.

The time for tut tutting such s**** has long passed.

info@williamrua

info@williamrua wrote: »

The country is in the toilet. Op needs to get a grasp on reality here.
.

+1. Very sad for the Ryan family, but seriously there are far more disgraceful things going on at the moment in this country to get worked up about.

Vivara

I can guarantee you that I have a much better grasp on reality than any of you have here. Try taking a 100% drop in salary as a family and being entitled to nothing because the person who brought in the money is entitled to nothing because — self-employed. This isn't about that or even remotely related, so those of you think that because you have a high post count you can blast plain stupid opinions across, you're mistaken.

Far more disgraceful things? I am one of the few people in the country aware of what the banks really did, so don't get me started on that. And no, you don't have a clue what they really did. Very few people do... David McWilliams couldn't grasp what I was saying at a book signing in Dublin recently.

Obviously the Corkonians on Boards.ie are of the demograph that are not fans of Gerry Ryan, but given the tens of thousands (nearing 80,000 at this stage) of Facebook Condolence messages and more than a thousand signatures on the very book I'm talking about, you seem to be of the very few. (Not to mention that the book itself was not even publicized.)

And the most out of touch person in this thread is the one who says that the time for 'tutting' and pointing these things out is long gone. A report last night on RTÉ News mentioned how all the Greeks 'don't want to be like the Irish' who just sit back and do nothing. For years everyone just let staff behind the counter be rude, etc., etc. (I'm waffling here, but oh well) and didn't expect high standards, yet we paid through the roof.

While I may have exaggerated my reaction for the post, I do not see how RTÉ could not have gone down to Eason and bought a Book of Condolence for less than €10.

I actually can't believe how pathetic everyone is here... where is the place to voice your opinion without causing a flame?!

Ed.

Vivara

To add to my post above:

Gerry Ryan was one of the few people who told the country to have hope (in fact his last five radio shows were all based around this topic). He was always talking about how people talked about 'the country down the toilet' and those who do nothing about it.

It's surprising to find that the people who go on about how bad the state of the country is, those who tell others to get in touch with reality, those who say 'I'm only surviving', those like the cranky posters in this thread... they're actually the very people who need to get in touch. Oh, the irony.

Ed.

Stark

Vivara wrote: »

Far more disgraceful things? I am one of the few people in the country aware of what the banks really did, so don't get me started on that. And no, you don't have a clue what they really did. Very few people do... David McWilliams couldn't grasp what I was saying at a book signing in Dublin recently.

Do enlighten us in a way that only someone who got an A in Mock Junior Cert Business Studies can.

Fighting Irish

:rolleyes:

AAAAAAAHHH

Vivara wrote: »

I can guarantee you that I have a much better grasp on reality than any of you have here.

In that sentence you've managed to prove that you haven't.

AAAAAAAHHH

Vivara wrote: »

but given the tens of thousands (nearing 80,000 at this stage) of Facebook Condolence messages and more than a thousand signatures on the very book I'm talking about,

Also, how do you know how many signatures were in the book? Was that not one of your points?

scarpetta65

Vivara wrote: »

I can guarantee you that I have a much better grasp on reality than any of you have here.

Far more disgraceful things? I am one of the few people in the country aware of what the banks really did, so don't get me started on that. And no, you don't have a clue what they really did. Very few people do... David McWilliams couldn't grasp what I was saying at a book signing in Dublin recently.

Yes, please enlighten us plebs - I really would like to know even though I have lost my job and my pension is now worth zero.

Vivara

Stark wrote: »

Do enlighten us in a way that only someone who got an A in Mock Junior Cert Business Studies can.

One word. Ageism. My father happens to be an ex-banker.

Vivara

AAAAAAAHHH wrote: »

In that sentence you've managed to prove that you haven't.

Two words. Vague. Hilarious.

parsi

Is this the same Ryan who refused to have some of his massive publicly paid salary docked in order to help put things on an even keel ?

Vivara

scarpetta65 wrote: »

Yes, please enlighten us plebs - I really would like to know even though I have lost my job and my pension is now worth zero.

Enlighten? You know much less than I would have assumed. Enlightening you would mean referring to hundreds of E.U. directives, explaining how a simple Credit Default Swap Product brought down the world and how BOI, AIB and others completely abused statistics and annual reports. Would you believe me if I told you that all our top three banks' profits were entirely ficticous — for the last eight years?

Open your minds.

Ed.

scarpetta65

parsi wrote: »

Is this the same Ryan who refused to have some of his massive publicly paid salary docked in order to help put things on an even keel ?

And the same one whose salary you paid if you bought a TV licence, even though you may not ever have chosen to listen to him



Oh, the irony.

Vivara

And I must point out that arguing against a whole thread of people is going to fail miserably — no matter how right I am.

Especially when people are searching my previous posts and using the info in an unrelated thread.

Feel free to nit-pick on the minute details I have mentioned. I actually find it quite funny. :P

Ed.

NinjaTruncs

How are the banks to blame because they are ageist?

No wonder David McWilliams was confused, I haven't a clue how that could be the downfall of our financial system.

scarpetta65

NinjaTruncs wrote: »

How are the banks to blame because they are ageist?

No wonder David McWilliams was confused, I haven't a clue how that could be the downfall of our financial system.

If you're good you might learn something here. Now, pay attention.

Vivara

NinjaTruncs wrote: »

How are the banks to blame because they are ageist?

No wonder David McWilliams was confused, I haven't a clue how that could be the downfall of our financial system.

I actually did laugh out loud there. Thanks for that.

goodgirl7279

whats this got to do with gerry ryan "disgraceful condolence book" in cork?

peanuthead

Well look to be honest, its easy to say "do people not have anything better to do" but did you ever hear of the saying "If it's worth doing, do it properly" I agree with the OP.

I've not been to sign the book as, ironically, I feel that I personally do have better things to do. However, for some its more of a priority and thats fine.

But I would expect that if RTE were going to go to the trouble of having a book of condolences and extending their hours of operation (I'm sure this must have happened, correct me if I'm wrong)to allow people to come in and sign it then, yeah, I would expect them to make an effort.

azul

AAAAAAAHHH wrote: »

In that sentence you've managed to prove that you haven't.

Brilliant!!

Dudess

Ed is right: opinions that are different to his are "plain stupid". Also, those who disagree with him (just him, mind) are pathetic and out of touch. And even though he despairs at how people have the nerve to have a differing opinion to him, and are thus "flaming" him, it's ok for him to be abusive...

Vivara wrote: »

those of you think that because you have a high post count you can blast plain stupid opinions across, you're mistaken.

How are they "mistaken"? Are you going to punish them by patronising them to death maybe? Post count thing is all in your fertile imagination by the way...

Vivara wrote: »

Gerry Ryan was one of the few people who told the country to have hope (in fact his last five radio shows were all based around this topic).

Yes, for the good of the ordinary man and woman - not something that was decided in a production meeting.

peanuthead wrote: »

Well look to be honest, its easy to say "do people not have anything better to do" but did you ever hear of the saying "If it's worth doing, do it properly" I agree with the OP.

And that's your valid opinion, but most people here feel the book of condolences in and of itself is a huge gesture and that the look of the book isn't even worth noting, not to mind considering "disgraceful". That isn't disrespecting the man himself or indicative of how Cork people wouldn't be fans - plenty of Cork people were.

corkcomp

Vivara wrote: »

And I must point out that arguing against a whole thread of people is going to fail miserably — no matter how right I am.

Especially when people are searching my previous posts and using the info in an unrelated thread.

Feel free to nit-pick on the minute details I have mentioned. I actually find it quite funny. :P

Ed.

maybe stick to the topic in hand i.e. Gerry Ryans book of condolences.. you think the book was disrespectful and clearly a lot of others dont give a damn. the pointless rants about Banks and alluding to what most people already know is for another thread

mynamesjay

I don't understand why so many people clicked on this post and decided to abuse the OP if they had no interest in the thread , the title was pretty clear in describing what the post was about.
They've needless abused the poster on unrelated topics and should really look at why they behave this way and if it actually improves there life to behave in such a way.

My opinion on the topic in question, they'd be better not having a book of condolences at all if they are not going to do it properly and it should be of a reasonable quality. As regards the rude worker, I don't think the organization could have planned for this.

Dudess

mynamesjay wrote: »

I don't understand why so many people clicked on this post and decided to abuse the OP if they had no interest in the thread

Disagreeing is not abusing, and nobody said they had no interest in the thread.

the title was pretty clear in describing what the post was about.

On a discussion forum people should only post to a thread if they agree with the opening post?

They've needless abused the poster on unrelated topics and should really look at why they behave this way and if it actually improves there life to behave in such a way.

The OP is the one who brought up the unrelated topics. And the OP is the one who is being abusive - any reason why you're not acknowledging that?

Faith

Just to put things into perspective, here's a recent post in a different forum from Ed:

Vivara wrote: »

Hi Guys,

I'm preparing for a 1500m race. Only a bit of a laugh, not really competitive to be honest.

One thing I'm wondering is what time a fifteen year old of better than average fitness would do a 1500m race in? I'm not looking for world record times — I just want to be able to mimic a race on a treadmill!

If possible, I know it would be difficult and I know every race is different, could someone do something like the following? (All speeds and times are totally made up.)

1st Minute: 5km/hr
2nd Minute: 6km/hr
3rd Minute: 4.5km/hr
4th Minute: 3km/hr
5th Minute: 5km/hr
Last Thirty Seconds: 8km/hr
Etc.
Etc.

If it's easier to do it in distances, e.g. 1st 200m: 5km/hr, then please do.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Ed.

You're all arguing with a teenager. Lol. I think you can all sleep soundly tonight safe in the knowledge you do know more about the banking crisis than he does!

Vivara

Faith wrote: »

Just to put things into perspective, here's a recent post in a different forum from Ed:



You're all arguing with a teenager. Lol. I think you can all sleep soundly tonight safe in the knowledge you do know more about the banking crisis than he does!

I'm trying to be careful here as you are a moderator.

If you had even bothered to read the thread, you would have figured out that we already established I was doing my Junior Cert.

Firstly, you are being ageist. In fact, very ageist. Given that I was an administrator of one of the largest web design and web development forums on the internet (WebForumz.com — since gone to ruin since it was bought by a parent company), I find it shocking that you are doing so when in a position of authority. I struck off many moderators for this reason. As well as this, I saw first hand the talent and intelligence young people have, designing websites better than those who charge €3000, etc.

I'm sick of boasting (honestly, I really really do hate it) — actually, forget it... I won't even bring my I.Q. into this.

I most certainly know more about the banking crisis than many of you (I would say all of you, but that sounds presumptuous). Again, if you read the thread, you would have found out that my Dad is an ex-banker.

Is it so hard for you to comprehend that a fifteen-year-old may both know more about the banking crisis, be more intelligent and be more in touch with reality? Really? I can understand how.

As numerous people have mentioned, all I was trying to say was that if you're going to do something, do it right. Sure, I went overboard — but the woman was rude, the book wasn't even of high quality and there was no photograph. These are COMMON things found when signing a book of condolence. And given that my cousin drowned saving two swimmers, all my grandparents have passed from cancer (like so many others), I know first hand that it would mean so much if these extra and EASY TO DO touches were put in place.

I don't understand how other people don't see this. Sure of course I'm being branded as a 'hormonal teenager who is always right'. Typical.

Regards,
Ed.

Papa_Lazarou

Vivara wrote: »

snip

I really don't see where you are going with this. And you are only bringing the whole hormonal teenager thing upon yourself and the constant mentioning that you must be in the know because your dad is an ex-banker(the people that caused all this in the first place....) isnt helping your case.

I don't see this thread lasting much longer to be honest!

bytey

have you ever heard of 'girls' ?

Fizman

bytey wrote: »

have you ever heard of 'girls' ?

Eewwwwwwww!

babo9

This thread seems to have gone a little mad.
I have been reading it from starting off as someone complaining about a condolence book until it decended into what it is now

Personally I think everyone was a little harsh on Viv from the beginning, he was simply giving his opinion on something, yet everyone was telling him "care about more important things".
I wonder if it was about something other than Jerry Ryan, which in some peoples opinion is as insignifficant, would people be so quick to say the same.
I'm not sure why a mod should be "putting things in context" by pointing out the ops age either...

That's not to say that the ops replies aren't a bit much and read as pompous, no doubt if he looks back on this thread in say 10 years he'll laugh(or cringe :P) for much different reasons, probably at his own posts

I don't think there's any one of us non teens that would look back on our view of life and opinions as a teenager and not think "what were we at"

Dudess

babo9 wrote: »

Personally I think everyone was a little harsh on Viv from the beginning, he was simply giving his opinion on something, yet everyone was telling him "care about more important things".

They were simply giving their opinions too though.

I wonder if it was about something other than Jerry Ryan, which in some peoples opinion is as insignifficant, would people be so quick to say the same.

I'd imagine so - people genuinely felt the appearance of a book of condolences was not something to get enraged about, it wasn't simply a case of them deciding to gang up on the OP.

What's the obsession with mods about btw? Faith doesn't moderate this forum.

Sorry Ed if you feel looked down on. I think it's more a case of people thinking you were a lot older - your posts are very well written and don't seem typical of a 15-year-old (that's meant in a good way).

PARKHEAD67

Stark wrote: »

Good luck finding a picture where he doesn't look smug.

I think the smug look he put on was all show. A very smart man who I liked by the way. But I think the marriage split more or less killed him.:(I could be very wrong .

corkcomp

Papa_Lazarou wrote: »

I really don't see where you are going with this. And you are only bringing the whole hormonal teenager thing upon yourself and the constant mentioning that you must be in the know because your dad is an ex-banker(the people that caused all this in the first place....) isnt helping your case.

I don't see this thread lasting much longer to be honest!

+1 .. thats all.

babo9

Dudess wrote: »

They were simply giving their opinions too though.

Some were giving their opinion on the subject, i.e. the book; albeit a little abruptly but what can you do, but some also felt the need to condem the op for having such an opinion, for example "get a life". Perhaps not everyone would get enraged about the book, but that's not to say someone who does is out of touch with reality or has nothing better to do! I get enraged at drivers all the time, as do millions of people, but of course there are more important things to worry about :P

Seeing as I'm posting I might as well contribute my opionion of the original topic.
I actually agree with the OP, you would think RTE would put a little more effort into it, yes the messages are what is supposed to condole the family, but seeing that the place&people who worked with him cared enough to put in decent effort is also comforting.

simu

Ah, this thread surpassed my expectations.

On a related note, did any one else feel pity for/pour scorn on all those people on the news who never knew Gerry Ryan but drove across the country to stand at the side of the road near the church where he had his funeral? They srsly need to find more meaningful things to give meaning to their lived imho.