Hi Ian, I’d just like to add my good wishes to you along with everybody else. Our connection is that I worked in the RTE Guide from 1978 to 1983. In that time, our paths crossed when I would speak with you about some of your programmes that I would write about in the RTE Guide. We also spoke at times when I would visit the Light Entertainment department to speak with colleagues, among them the late Noel D Greene, Gay Byrne and John McColgan. I did a bit of script-writing too for The Live Mike, Twink and The Billy Boyle Show. One of my abiding memories of you is the fantastic job you did in 1981 on the Eurovision Song Contest. Anyway, I don’t have picture of you and I together so I’m attaching one of me taken in 1979. Best wishes – Brendan Martin
I was lucky enough to work for Ian and Jane for McGarry The Ski System during the 96/97 and 97/98 winters.
Ian and Jane were great bosses and this contributed greatly to my enjoyment of those 2 seasons. They had the ability to trust you to get on with the job and managed with a light hand on the tiller so to speak.
I will always remember being out on a training session with Ian and the other instructors where we were on a heavily moguled black run near Plain Dranse in Chatel.
Ian amazed us by skiing the bumps with the utmost control, precision and an incredible light touch. He glided done the bumps like they almost did not exist! I still keep this picture in my mind when I train in bumps and it invariably helps me to stay ‘smooth’!
I don’t have many photos of that time unfortunately (pre-digital, internet and mobile phones!) But I’ve added one of me wearing one of our polo neck shirts from that time which I still wear with pride occasionally.
Caption – The production team behind the RTÉ Television/Frontier Films pop quiz ‘Number One’, on set in August 1988.
From left to right; Dave Fanning (team captain), Gerald Heffernan of Frontier Films, his twin brother Dave Heffernan (host), producer Ian McGarry and Gerry Ryan (team captain). This shot was taken for the RTÉ Guide.
Photographer -Cooney, John
Date of photograph – 01/Aug/1988
Rights holder RTÉ
Dear Ian,
You never knew this but you were my guide when I first attempted to direct for television. I’d come from theatre and radio and quickly realised that I hadn’t a clue when a good friend told me “you make an awful lot of noise in the directing box”. I confessed immediately and asked what I should do. ” Check out how Ian McGarry works”, she said. I did, and was amazed and delighted to witness your quiet, very much in control way of dealing with the crew, how on music programmes you consulted and knew the score and counted down the beats for each shot. Your visual interpretation of the dynamics of the music was always spot on – you never just did coverage but offered an exact interpretation to the viewer in which vision and sound were united so well that your skill in blending them together was invisible. I learned so much from watching you at work but knew I could never compete. You are always the master, the maestro.
You were a pleasure to deal with even though on one occasion you had every reason to murder me. In the early 1980s you were one of the few people in RTE who had a VHS machine. In those days a VHS machine was a prized possession. I called into your office to ask if I could borrow it for a short while. You weren’t there, so as it was lunch time I did the unforgivable and took it into my own office and started viewing. A few minutes later you came in looking distressed, disturbed and crestfallen, and as you were telling me that someone had stolen your VHS machine you realised that I was the thief. It was a moment straight out of situation comedy. When we both recovered our wits and I made a grovelling apology, you sighed and said, “oh man, don’t do this to me again … when your are finished will you bring it back, thanks”. I did, and we never mentioned my criminality again, but I have never forgotten your decency and kindness in this and all my dealings with you.
When I was producing The Live Mike we collaborated on a crazy sketch in pre- Riverdance times about Irish dancing and you did a brilliant directing job with Fran Dempsey in a gymslip dancing frantically to a ceili band which got faster and faster. Chaos everywhere with dancers out of step and music out of tune. Not what would be expected on a programme directed by the great Ian McGarry!
All my love, Ian,
John Lynch.
Hi Ian, A very belated thank-you for getting me into RTE – you were on the interview panel when I applied for the Radio Producer job back in the ’80s and it was so reassuring to see a proper muso on the other side of the desk! It was always brilliant to find your name on a planned programme because that meant it would be superbly done with the minimum of fuss and the maximum of quality. Always a joy to work with or catch up with you, Ian. Always the coolest dude with the quiet smile! Keep ‘er lit. Jim
This really got me thinking and reliving great days of fun a laughter and hard work. I never could understand how Ian could remain so calm when there were so many crisis going on all around, never phased or confused, just get the job done.
So I started to think about the Eurovision Song Contest in 1982 with The Duskey’s, representing Ireland with Here Today Gone Tomorrow, maybe not our most successful entry, but Ian managed to make it really special with a Visit to Dublin Zoo to film the prelim video to send out to the Eurovision networks. What a giggle, I look at it and smile. In fact so many of the shows and commercials we filmed together make me smile. Working with Sandy Kelly on her brilliant TV series, amazing guests and Ian really stretched Sandy’s incredible vocals with the choices of some of the songs we choose together.
I have to mention our great trip to Nashville with Sandy Kelly, Kieran Cavanagh as part of the recording of The Showman’s Daughter, this trip was responsible for Sandy’s opportunities to record with some of Country Music’s best, including Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Glen Campbell, in fact a whole album of great duets. The TV show was a great success.
We filmed the videos and TV commercials for Sandy’s “Crazy” and “Sweet Dreams”, I learned so much sitting close to Ian and taking it all in. I never got in the way, did I ? Just loved being a part of Ian’s creations.
So we did some more Videos, Ballads, Shawn Conors and any opportunity to create video and television.
We did great video’s for Frank McNamara and David Agnew’s album including TV commercials, same for John Hogan all with Ian in command as Producer/Director, always Ian, I wonder why ?
So why not do our own series of TV shows. Celtic Note……….. Dubliners, Horslips, Paddy Reilly, Margo, Jim McCann all presented by Sandy Kelly and John McNicholl.
None of the above would have happened without the encouragement from Ian and his willingness to work with us.
For the experience, the fun, the education, Thanks Ian. For your help when I needed information and research, ask Ian McGarry, he knows………..
Worked with Ian on the Starcodes Project for RTE with Barry Devlin. Some videos were filmed in RTE in 1983 and I was on drums for a few of them. I didn’t play on the album, just appeared on the videos.
Hi Ian,
I found this lovely photo taken of us when we received another 12 points in the Eurovision in Brussels in 1987. I wouldn’t have even been there without you calling me privately & convincing me that I had to sing it myself. Remember in Brussels when the director kept missing my body movement as I hit the high note in the key change.?.Remember how you fixed that.? I do & I will always be grateful to you not only as my director,as a great musician but most importantly as my friend. Will always love you man even though I never made the time to learn to ski. Sean ( Johnny Logan) ❤️❤️
I got to know Ian when we started the Westland Row Accorian band. Ian started as Cymble player but quickly progressed to drummer. That was many years ago. We kept in touch and when I was home a few years ago was lucky to be able to jam with Ian , Jim Farley and Chris Conveavy all ex row boys. Great night it was and great to catch up with you Ian after such a long time.wishing you and Jayne my very best wishes. Jimmy Harte
Ian
We go back a long way. We first went to Germany for the Gold Star Award competition in 1986 but it was when you started to direct our many TV Specials that our friendship blossomed.
I can remember the night in The Point when we recorded our Christmas show, not long before curtain up the stage lift stopped working and couldn’t be fixed. While everyone was flapping you just smiled and said at least the stage is up. How right you were. The show went on and who missed the lift! We were blessed to get to do so many shows for PBS TV in America and wherever it was recorded your flight was always booked and you were ever ready to go. We always knew that if we gave you the show you would give us back a brilliantly edited tv special.
You were a master at you craft.
I think the fact that you were a musician you knew how to get the best out of all of us. Thanks Ian for all the great work but most of all for your support and friendship. You were one of the few who believed in me from the beginning. I was looking for a photo of us together but I can’t find one. There must be one somewhere. We surely didn’t travel all those miles together and escape the paparazzi 😄
Hope these few lines take you back in you memory to the great times we had through the years. Hope to meet you sometime.
I titled this
A COOL HEAD
Because like the night in the point you were always COOL and as they say in the business you were definitely A Head
