Bonnie Ryan opens up about grief as dad Gerry’s anniversary approaches

The RTÉ broadcaster passed away on April 30 2010 at the age of 53.

His daughter Bonnie has been candid with followers about the good and bad days when dealing with his loss.

"Grief is so common,” she said on Instagram this week. “Everyone has lost someone and everyone is going through their own battles or struggles.

"I feel like I’ve gotten the nicest people who follow me, I always say it. I don’t know how I got so lucky to have the nicest people who I chat to in my [Instagram messages] everyday.

"And to anyone dealing with grief or loss! Some days are good, some are bad but I promise the good days get better and the bad get fewer.”

The influencer thanked followers for their messages, sharing one from a supporter who said they would “safely say he’s very proud of you anyways and everything that you’re doing and achieving so well done you and keep up the great work.”

Bonnie recently shared a extract from her late dad’s book Would the Real Gerry Ryan Please Stand Up.

Bonnie circled a paragraph from the book published two years before Gerry died.

"I think my family have been generous in dealing with this,” he wrote. “I think that they’re able to go. ‘OK. he’s a bit weird sometimes, but you know what? He’s a good guy, he takes care of us, he’s funny, he’s entertaining.

"And the thing is, I turn up. I am the guy who will materialise in Mogadishu to bring you home.

"There s a very small number of people who understand me. My wife understood me better than anyone else in the entire world.”

Bonnie said reading the first two pages of the book left her in tears as she could “hear his voice.”

“The best dad I could have ever wanted, he really was that person, the person I could call at anytime and know ‘he’ll be able to get me out of this mess’.

"Miss him everyday, especially right now,” Bonnie said.

"Grief is a funny thing. It comes in waves. At a time in my life right now I really wish he could be here to see all I’m doing.”