Take a bow Billy McCarthy, RIP – 1954 to 2016.

The final curtain call.

It is with a very heavy heart, that I heard on Sunday the 20^th November, of the passing of Billy McCarthy, broadcaster on Deise AM, at WLR FM. After a very short illness Billy passed away at University Hospital Waterford.

I first met Billy when I was appointed as CEO of Waterford Chamber and I have to say that there are very few people who you meet in this world, who you instantly take a shine to. There are even fewer people that you genuinely know would be there for you in a crisis, if called upon. Billy was one of those rare people.

He managed to come into your car, living room and kitchen when on the radio. His broadcasts were so personal, you almost felt like he was sitting right next to you and sharing a cup of tea with you, in the comfort of your own home. There are very few who had this magical gift and there can be no doubt that Billy was one of the very best that Ireland and Waterford has ever produced.

Testament to his talent, can be seen in the many thousands of social media messages written over the last few days. Everyone has a very personal message for Billy’s passing and a story that touched their heart.

The UK had Terry, Dublin has Joe and Waterford had Billy.

He really was that good and I for one, have met so many people who instantly smile when you mention what Billy meant to them. I wonder just how many people are able to do that in life let alone in death.

Evidently, Billy was born to be Waterford’s “People’s Champion” and he took to this challenge with gusto, verve and a determination. He had no fear in tearing strips off our representatives for not doing enough for his beloved City and County. He chased for answers like the proverbial dog with a bone. If he could not get hold of the said politician, he was not frightened to let his adoring listeners know that they were hiding! No stone would be unturned in him trying to get the right solutions his Waterford listeners deserved.

Yet, for the next programme segment he would become sympathetic, caring and empathetic. He could switch in an instant and make that transition so seamlessly we just never noticed. The mark of this man was that he did everything so well, for the pure benefit of the listeners.

He was of course, supported by so many professional WLR FM colleagues. In particular Jennifer Long, who produced Billy’s shows. This deadly duo created so many broadcasting moments and memories you could literally fill several hundreds of newspapers with their in depth investigative journalism. I am sure that the whole WLR/Beat team will miss Billy dearly.

For me, Billy’s laugh will be one of his defining memories. A laugh that was instantly recognisable and infectious.

I an era when so much of our lives are played out on social media, every morning, Billy managed to speak regularly to over 20,000 listeners on a daily basis. His listening figures were astonishing and enormous, bearing in mind the many ways open to us in getting our news.

Young and old would tune in every morning at 10 am, to Deise AM, to join Billy in talking about all matters current, regional, national and local. Billy’s passing will leave a huge void in so many of our lives and he will be impossible to replace.

Our radios will be much quieter from now on and yet none of us who knew Billy will forget his radio tones. He lived through a changing Ireland. Seeing and campaigning for the marriage equality referendum, which was so close to his heart.

Our thoughts are with Des and his family through this very difficult time.

Yes, we will miss you Billy McCarthy, but you will never be forgotten. Each and every one of your friends, colleagues and listeners will always remember the moment you touched their hearts.

RIP Billy McCarthy – 1954 to 2016. 

Lashings of Ginger Beer!

I was lucky enough to return to the local airwaves last weekend and appear on the panel of WLR’s Maria McCann’s Sunday review show, known as “The Week”. My fellow panel guests were Brain Swift and Tadgh Williams. I also brought, to share, some salted caramel cookies, which appear to have been a favourite of Maria’s – future guests please take note!

Some say I have the perfect face for radio! What I do know, is that not only do I appear to sound like Shrek on the radio, with my retreating hairline I am beginning to look, well facially at least, like the big green ogre as well!

The review of news from the week that was, was lively, direct, straight talking, humorous (I hope) and expertly directed, as usual, by our host Maria. During the review we discussed many topics and subjects. Naturally we also talked politics.

A challenge was laid down to our four sitting TDs and our newest Senator – our very own “Famous Five!”

The Famous Five were of course a series of children’s adventure books, written by Enid Blyton. The Five in question being Julian, Anne, Dick, George and of course George’s dog, known as Timmy.

These Five would get together in the County of Dorset. Every summer holiday recess, upon returning from their various boarding schools dotted around the country. Embarking on many an unlikely adventure in the twenty plus books penned by the author. No matter what difficult challenges lay ahead, these Five would inevitably succeed and do what was necessary to “get the job or task done!” There was no second guessing, they just rolled up their sleeves and literally got stuck in. With a vim and vigour that would put most adults to shame.

Their adventures would later make our silver screens in the mid eighties as a Channel Four spoof series, from “The Comic Strip Presents”. Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders and Peter Richardson would play the lead roles. This tongue in cheek homage to the original stories would parody Blyton’s books and in a cruel twist of modernisation they added racism to the children’s characters, sexisms and even managing to incorporate some extremely right-wing political views!

With our continued regional position at the top of the third tier of Ireland’s economic recovery, supported by the recent quarterly figures, showing a rather alarming 12.5% unemployment rate across the South East region. Radical thinking is needed in order to drag Waterford, kicking and screaming, and the wider south east region out of the malaise that we find ourselves in.

It was with this background, that the panel on Sunday’s radio show came up with the novel idea that perhaps, just perhaps, we could ask “Our Famous Five” to come together and champion the three, four or five key economic issues/drivers for Waterford, and the wider region?

To do this they would have to ditch the dinosaur party politics that have failed us and come to the table, to work together, for the betterment of the City, County and ultimately the wider geographical region. A region that has once again been left short of a full Ministerial Portfolio, from the cabinet shuffle and therefore we will still be feeding off the occasional crumb thrown to us from the top table!

This type of giant step political thought needs bravehearts and committed political resolve to barter a better deal for the very electorate that put an “X” on the ballot paper way back in late February.

Richardson, Saunders, Edmondson & French.

I would happily facilitate and take the chair at this meeting. In my capacity as Chair of the Waterford Business Group, with no political affiliations or, being apolitical in this instance. When we see other regional TDs banding together and racing ahead of Waterford and the south east, we need “Our Famous Five” to step up to the plate and I am happy to help get this ball rolling!

“A clown needn't be the same out of the ring as he has to be when he's in it.” Enid Blyton.