11/12 The Saturday Papers

The Front Pages

Across all the papers, whether tabloid and grown-up, there’s just the one story that’s writ large, and that story relates to Gerry Ryan.

After an inquest found that there was cocaine in his system on the day he died and that this had likely contributed to his death, the papers had an excuse to relegate the economic crisis to second place in the story hierarchy and metaphorically dig up the late great broadcaster.

“Gerry’s secret hell” announces the Irish Independent alongside a picture of Gerry's son and former wife Morah (above) leaving the inquest, referring to reports that he was receiving aggressive texts and that he was in financial difficulties at the time of his death.

“Broadcaster Gerry Ryan died of heart failure after using cocaine” says The Irish Times.

“Gerry’s struggle” says the Irish Examiner.

While the Indo only carries the story of the Ryan inquest on its front page, both the Examiner and The Times feature the news that the IMF are to delay providing their portion of the bailout (€22.5billion) until next week’s Dáil vote on the rescue deal.

Tales from the Tabs

Whereas the broadsheets take a more measured approach to reporting on the details surrounding Gerry Ryan’s demise, the tabloids are, as you’d expect, much more blunt.

“Inquest sensation” says the Irish Daily Mirror “COCAINE KILLED GERRY: DJ had lethan drink and drug cocktail in flat”. The Mirror goes on to tell that his girlfriend Melanie Verwoerd wept as the inquest heard that Gerry was a cocaine user – despite promising her he never touched the drug.

The inquest also heard that his face would turn grey after aggressive texts from a mystery sender and that he was on tranquilisers and sleeping pills.

“Ryan inquest shock” says The Irish Sun “COCAINE KILLED GERRY: RTÉ icon ‘banjaxed’ by drugs and stress”.

The Sun does give over some front page space to the story that, after two female Mountjoy Prison inmates sold photos of themselves in sexy underwear, there’s now a “Skimpy knickers ban in The Joy”.

The Sports Pages

Thanks to some serious feather ruffling, Patrice Evra has secured his place across the back pages of Saturday’s papers.

The Manchester United left-back labelled Arsenal a “training centre” ahead of Monday’s clash between the two teams. “You’re rubbish Arsenal: Gunners will never win a trophy – Evra” says the headline on the back page of The Irish Sun.

“EVRA AGGRO” says the Irish Daily Mirror, coupled with news that Arsene Wenger is, not surprisingly, not best pleased with his fellow Frenchman’s comments. “Show us some respect” reads another headline.

The Mirror also claims that our boys in green won’t meet England in an Ireland-England friendly until well into 2012 after the FAI ruled out an earlier meeting, initially believed to be as early as next June.

Over on the Irish Independent, reporter Daniel McDonnell looks into “The Great Robbie Keane mystery: one by one all his managers have shown him the door”. Why is it, he asks, that the Irish striker is always the one to go.

Turning to rugby, the Indo also features a rallying cry from Leo Cullen for Joe Schmidt’s Leinster to ‘stand up’ to the mighty Clermont when they face them on Sunday in the Heineken Cup.

“They are a team that like to come out to you early and throw everything at you, we have to stand up to that,” he says.