Ireland mourns loss of top broadcaster Gerry Ryan

DUBLIN — Ireland is mourning the shock loss of one of its best-known broadcasters, Gerry Ryan, who was found dead in his Dublin apartment after failing to arrive for work Friday.

He was 53. The cause of death was not disclosed. Ryan had been living alone since he separated in 2008 from his wife Morah, with whom he had five children aged 10 to 24.

Since 1988 Ryan, a Dublin pioneer of pirate radio, had hosted a morning chat-and-music show on national broadcasters RTE. He also fronted numerous RTE television talk shows and celebrity interviews and was known for his irreverent, coarse humor.

Prime Minister Brian Cowen led tributes from all corners of Ireland's political and entertainment communities, lauding Ryan as "one of the greats of modern Irish broadcasting."