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Hi Ian,
It’s Steph Bream here 🙂 . I am not great with words. But one of the best memories I have is spending the summer in Chatel and Saas Fee as part of your family. Kirsty, Tam and I where like sisters that summer. I loved being away with you guys. Remember I bought a catsuit that was far too big!! It took me years to grow into it. Willie TB teased me that it was more appropriate for ski jumping!
I have such happy memories of walk up the mountains to see dinosaur foot prints. To this day I believe that experience was the first step towards my geology career!!
You where always lovely to me. Yourself and Jane always made me feel part of the family. I also remember that no one was faster than you in deep fresh powder. You’re tight wiggle S turns always tore up the mountain!
Sending my love and hugs!
Steph Bream

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• Your Name: Stephanie Bream

Hi Ian, hope you remember me from the scouts in Donnybrook, we were in the pipe band together, you played the side drum and I played the tenor and base drum and took over as staff major from John O’Connor, we did church parade and marched around to Donnybrook church holding up traffic, which wouldn’t have been too bad in those days, and of course there were hikes and camps at Larch Hill ( my nephew is estate manager up there nowadays), we also did scouts shows together and I got to sing solo because I used to sing in the Church choir at Haddington Rd, which is gone now, bob-a-job and carol singing for fundraising. There were lots of our members went on to greater things yourself included, i went into athletics via the scouts sports and became multiple champion and international and of course Muiris McGonigle who you would go on to work with in RTE. hope you get well soon. All my brothers were in the cubs or scouts as well and my mother used to help out.

Tony Murphy

• Your Name: Tony Murphy

I am so sorry to hear this news of Ian’s illness Jane… My heart goes out to all of you… I first saw Ian when I first saw BLUESVILLE in 1964… featuring the two coolest dudes in CBC Monkstown school Mick Molloy and Deke O’Brien… Robbie Brennan and I used to look at them in their sunglasses and their black shirts with the collars turned up as the cool-walked down to the school… But Bluesville was a whole new ball game… looking and sounding like nothing we’d ever seen or heard before with Barry Richardson playing harmonica in Evening Dress, Peter Adler in black shades (held together with Sellotape) playing snarling sax, Ian Whitcomb prancing around the piano in American Football gear and huge sneakers… and sitting imperiously behind them in immaculate suit, shirt and tie clinically driving them on was the immaculate Ian McGarry on immaculate drums… Robbie (no mean drummer himself) was transfixed… Ian’s drumming was so meticulous and precise… the heart beat of the band… and as for that unique skip-beat on ‘You Turn Me On’… His pièce de résistance!… Many years later I had the great pleasure of being directed by Ian on FAIR CITY and once again the attention to detail and meticulous professionalism… A thorough gentleman… A lovely, affable, funny and friendly man… I wish you well Ian… My love to you Jane and to your lovely daughters as you mind this special man.

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• Your Name: Jonathan Ryan

Greeting Ian from SW France. It is many years since I asked for your help to learn to ski at Chatel. I shall never forget your kindness and that of Jane as I was undoubtedly the worst pupil either of you ever tried to teach. I doubt you will remember me now from the 1990s. The consequence of my flirtation with skiing has been many happy memories, one knee operation and a replacement hip. I am now retired from the Bar and living in the Agenais between Bordeaux and Toulouse, I was delighted to read of the success of your daughters. How accomplished. I wish you all the very best with fondest thoughts of you, Jane and the past.

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• Your Name: Charles Francis Chruszcz

Jane, I am visiting from Canada, your new friend Linda Northrup told me of your brilliant idea and I had to see for myself. I think this is just the best and should be widely copied. My heartfelt admiration for what you have organized, Hugh

• Your Name: Hugh LeBaron

“Why don’t we try this now?”

I first met Ian shortly after I’d bought my chalet in Chatel. One day, early in 1986, I walked into the offices of the estate agent through whom I’d bought my property, to be confronted by none other than Jane who was cradling a babe in arms – Tamsen! I was attending his offices to take the agent to task and Jane was waiting her turn to do the same for a similar reason. It was such a surprise to bump into Jane whom I’d previously met a number of years earlier when she was teaching in Niederau. As far as I can pin it down this would have been around about 1976 and after that I occasionally saw her when she’d visit the Sun Inn in Barnes. Gradually these chance encounters diminished and a number of years had elapsed before we met up at the estate agent so we had a lot of catching up to do! Jane introduced me to her husband Ian, a very pleasant unassuming guy with a smile playing around his lips and a twinkle in his eye, who listened with interest to what Jane and I were chatting about. We must have made an arrangement to meet up and that marked the beginning of one of the most meaningful relationships of my life. Our families have become entwined as our two boys are a couple of years or so younger than Tamsen and Kirsty. We were together often for Christmas and the New Year. For a number of years at New Year’s Eve I’d set off a firework display and although it might be hard to believe if you’ve seen Chatel on New Year’s Eve in recent years – how the entire valley erupts with firework displays at midnight – when I was first doing it there weren’t any! As Jane and Ian’s business The McGarry Ski System grew they always had a big party on New Year’s Eve and Ian and I laid on a firework display for the guests. For many years I transported large quantities of fireworks from the UK through the tunnel for the party, with Ian and myself in charge of the pyrotechnics, and I do believe that together we were responsible for starting the valley firework displays.
Our friendship led to my opportunity to ski with both Jane and Ian and I’m sure that Jane won’t mind me saying that Ian became my skiing Guru. It doesn’t need me to say what a brilliant ski teacher he is because he has all the professional qualifications that endorse this, but his manner was always so encouraging and he was always coming up with ideas to help you improve. A pet phrase of Ian’s was “Why don’t we try this now” as though it was going to be a surprise how things would turn out, when he knew exactly how it would work and something that you’d been struggling with was transformed by this other method. The image I always carry in my mind when skiing is that of Ian on every slope. I hold the image of Ian in my mind and think ‘how would Ian ski this?’.
Besides his skiing Ian is one of the nicest guys you could meet; a smile is never far from his lips and I’ve never heard him say a bad word about anybody. With his many skills across many different mediums in music, the arts, and television he is truly Renaissance man.
Over the years there have been occasions when I’ve been able to lend a hand, from the odd vehicle breakdown rescue to the installation of a Jacuzzi which was showing a great deal of wilfulness in wanting to head off down the mountain towards the centre of Chatel rather than take its place outside Jane and Ian’s chalet. It is always fun with Ian and his family. I have spent some of the happiest times of my life with the whole McGarry clan and I look forward to spending many more.

Garry Haywood
22/03/2021

• Your Name: Garry Haywood