Rememebering Gerry Ryan

Drimnagh Castle Past pupil and former Irish International footballer Gerry Ryan passed away last Ocotber at the age of 68. Gerry attended Drimnagh Castle in the 1970s and was part of an especially talented group of young students that progressed to great things in top flight soccer across the water in England. Gerry played many sports during his time in The Castle and was an outstanding gaelic footballer however he excelled at soccer. Our school and the wider community were saddened at the loss of such a great sportsman and gentleman.

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Good things happen in threes, they say, and that was certainly the case for Irish soccer in the 1970s when, first, Liam Brady, Frank Stapleton and David O’Leary made waves at Arsenal, to be followed by Mick Martin, Gerry Daly and Ashley Grimes at Manchester United, and then a trio of Dublin school pals from Drimnagh Castle tried their hand at soccer and ended up being capped for Ireland and playing alongside the afore-mentioned legends.

Sadly, it was the death of Gerry Ryan in Our Lady’s Hospice, Harold’s Cross, Dublin, last October at the age of 68, which brought the latter trio to the fore again.

Playing Gaelic for Drimnagh Castle and soccer for Templeogue schoolboy club Rangers, Ryan and his school pals, Pat Byrne and Kevin Moran, won a string of titles with Rangers, which brought them to the attention of Bohemians’ manager Billy Young. “I never saw any three players as good in the one team,” he recalled.

While Moran’s career with Bohs had to wait while he attended to All-Ireland-winning business with Dublin, Byrne and Ryan helped Bohs to the League title (1975) and the FAI Cup (1976), before moving on overseas.

Byrne took the US route, with Philadelphia Fury, while Ryan was a Tommy ‘The Doc’ Docherty signing for Derby County, a snip at £40,000, having developed into a pacey left-winger with an eye for a goal.

“Originally, ‘The Doc’ was signing full-back Fran O’Brien, but he got injured, and he signed Gerry instead,” It was reported that Gerry gave Fran a few bob, which he didn’t have to do, but he was a lovely person.”

“Off the pitch, Gerry was just a really nice guy. He was affable, unassuming and got on with everyone he came in contact with.”

 He was very laid back and always in a happy mood, and a very good footballer as well.

“He was comfortable both left and right, very good on the ball, and very quick, which helped. A very good crosser, he went by people, and was always a threat. He helped so many times laying on goals for others.”

Kevin Moran has another special memory of Ryan: “We sat together doing the Leaving Cert in 1973, and almost to the month 10 years later we played against each other in the FA Cup final in Wembley.

“He was a special guy. In some respects he was a latecomer, but he was the first of us to be capped.”

Ryan’s value also went up when, after one season with Derby, he was transferred to Brighton for £80,000, and helped them win promotion to the old First Division. He also ended that season, scoring his first, and only, international goal, with a cracking overhead kick against West Germany.

He became a fan favourite and in his second Brighton season, he scored two notable goals. The first earned Brighton their first away win in the division and handed Nottingham Forest their first home defeat in 56 games; the second featured a stunning solo run from his own half in a 4-1 home win over Manchester City.

The FA Cup final of 1983 was probably the highlight of his career, but just two years later, a tackle by fellow Irishman, Henry Hughton, brother of Chris, broke Ryan’s leg in two places, and ultimately forced him to retire from the game. “the immense dignity and true manliness that Ryan displayed in refusing to condemn or indeed utter any harsh word against the player responsible,” “Where others have sued and raged, slandered, cursed and threatened, Ryan said nothing.” 

He returned to Brighton for a spell as assistant manager to Liam Brady in 1994.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.