Popular tour guide George Ryan appreciation

Tributes have been paid to popular Derry tour guide George Ryan (62) who sadly passed away on Wednesday.

Speaking to Derry Now, George’s friend and colleague, Paul Doherty of Bogside History Tours, said he had known George since they ran about Shantallow when they were younger. 

“I hadn’t seen him for years and then he was working for City Sightseeing doing the bus tickets. 

“I started Bogside History Tours nine years ago and George started working for me then. Since then he has been a great colleague and a great friend.

“George was a character. Everybody knew him. He was well liked, well loved. He lived on his own with his wee dog and he just took life as it came. 

“He was a brilliant tour guide. I was so proud of him, so proud of his achievements with the Bogside History Tours. If you go into TripAdvisor, you will see some brilliant, brilliant reviews about George. He came across very, very well when he was doing the tours. He was a gentleman with the tourists, when he picked them up at the Guildhall every day at 11am and 1pm. George was always down about 9.30am rounding people up. The stories I could tell,” said Paul, “you couldn’t print half of them.”

George would have been seen having the odd pint in the Maldron Hotel, the Gainsborough, the City Hotel and the Blackbird, said Peter.

“He was well liked and well loved. He always wore a shirt and tie. We based ourselves in the Pickled Duck café in Guildhall Square and George would have been in there every morning and if he saw any tourists coming across the square he’d say, ‘There’s a couple of tourists, Paul, I’m away to grab them’.

“He was so funny and so nice and kind. He had a big circle of friends in Derry. Around the city, everybody knew George and everybody liked him. He was unbelievably funny and he didn’t even realise how funny he was.

“He was a proper gentleman and the life and soul of the party. He was just so well respected. 

“He rang me one day and said, ‘Paul there are two Canadians here and they have lost their passports in a bag in the Bogside. I’m sending them round to you now to get sorted out.’ We found the bag but, in between that, I had phoned the Canadian Embassy in Belfast. The couple were standing beside me and the woman asked, ‘Paul, why are you phoning the Canadian Embassy?’ I said, ‘To get your passports sorted’. ‘But we’re Australian.’ That was the kind of George,” laughed Paul.

Paul described George as “very reliable”. 

He added: “I think George respected the fact that I was the son of Paddy Doherty, one of the Bloody Sunday victims. 

“George respected what Bloody Sunday represented. He was also very proud to represent his city and he always said so and I was very proud of George. He became my best buddy over this last nine or ten years. 

“George was a true, true Derry character and a true Derry man and a great singer. He would have sang Danny Boy on the coach tours at times and he had a great voice on him. 

“We got on brilliantly. It was nice of the other tour companies to put up tributes to him this morning. I’ll miss George.

George’s death notice from McClafferty Funeral Directors said: “We regret to inform you that the death has taken place of George Ryan, peacefully at the Foyle Hospice surrounded by all of his loving family and friends.

“Late of Marlborough Street and Drumleck Drive. May he rest in peace.

“A much loved and renowned Bogside History Tour Guide.

“Beloved son of the late Willie and Marian. Loving brother of Liam, Jackie and the late Robbie. Dearest brother-in-law of Martrese. A much loved uncle of Conor, Gareth, Megan, Kelly, Karli and Nicky. Deeply regretted and sadly missed by all of his wider family circle, friends and neighbours.

“To know him was to love him.”

In a social media tribute to George, the Pickled Duck said: "Today our hearts are broken. Ourselves and our city have lost a great man, George.

"You would have found him every morning sitting at the window seat at cafe on the square. His charm, wit and smile just drew you in. In the afternoon he would be walking around the town working a charm for Bogside History Tours impressing visitors with his remarkable knowledge, making sure they supported businesses in the town stopping for lunch along the way.

George you will be sorely missed RIP."

The Maldron Hotel said: "It is with great sadness that we share the news that the wonderful George Ryan of Bogside Tours sadly passed away yesterday.

"We have not only lost a fantastic tour guide for the City but the Maldron has lost such a great friend who was always certain to call in for a pint and a great chat with all of the staff.

"I am certain that everyone who crossed George’s path would have nothing but kind words and be able to share some of the brilliant stories he shared with you all. Our condolences go out to all of George’s family and friends and especially his fellow tour guides of Bogside Tours. We will miss you George.

Former Derry City and Strabane District councillor, Mary Durkan said: "Saddened to learn of the passing of George Ryan.
Come rain, hail or sunshine, our George would brighten up the Guildhall Square, standing on the steps waiting on his next group of tourists, meeting and greeting everyone else in between!

"He loved his work as a tour guide, and he was brilliant at it. Not only did he give excellent tours, enjoying the craic with everyone he met, he just exuded that authentic pure Derry soundness.

"I’ll miss those wee random cuppas 'getting all the bars' in The Pickled Duck Cafe. We will all miss his warm, cheerful presence about the city centre.

"Thinking of all George’s family and friends and the team at Bogside History Tours - Derry City. Suaimhneas síoraí air."

George’s remains will be reposing at his brother Liam’s residence, 62, Ederowen Park from 3.30pm this afternoon, Thursday, February 2. Funeral leaving there on Saturday, February 4, at 9.20am for 10am Requiem Mass in Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Steelstown. Burial will take place immediately afterwards in the City Cemetery. 

George’s funeral Requiem Mass can be streamed live via: https://www.churchservices.tv/steelstown.