Ryan Tubridy has opened up about the death of his father, revealing music helped him through the incredibly difficult time.
His father Patrick sadly passed away in 2013, at the age of 72 and Ryan turned to trad tunes to occupy his mind in the days and weeks that followed.
During Friday night’s Late Late Show, Ryan was joined by musician Frankie Gavin, and said, “Frank I remember when my father passed away not too long ago. I remember the morning and I remember it well.
“What got me through it, I was driving around doing errands and such, was listening to Irish laments, of all things in the car. It meant an awful lot to me and I’ll never forget it because it’s a difficult time.”
Ryan added, “This was a horrible week for a lot of families in this country. It’s been a desperate year, but this week, in terms of the number of people we’ve lost.”
Before playing one final song on the show, Frank asked to dedicate a song to families who lost loved ones.
Ryan previously opened up about the heartache of losing a loved one, admitting he was shattered by the death of his dad.
Speaking on Doireann Garrihy’s podcast The Laughs of Your Life, he said, “I thought I was very empathetic, I thought I was good at even interviewing and understanding people but I wasn’t – because I now know.
“When one of yours goes, you go ‘sh*t, I had no idea how enormous this was.’ I had no idea of the massive chasm that’s left in your soul.
“It took me a long time to get over it, and I probably went a bit crazy when he died because it’s extensively so challenging.”
He continued, “This person, like that big tree in your garden, who is a constant in your life, it’s like someone chops it down. It’s gone.
“That’s a crazy time. It’s really head melting, and it’s really sad. There’s no point in dressing it up.
“He had more to come. He was only 72. I think that was profoundly sad. It took me a long time to acknowledge the sadness and to get over it.”