Throughout the last year we have had to say goodbye to many famous faces, from the legendary broadcaster Gay Byrne to locally renowned entertainer The Mad Hatter.
We look back at those who left us during the year, and the enduring legacy they left behind.
GAY BYRNE - 1934-2019
This national treasure was a part of so many Irish people's lives, either through his radio programme on Radio 1 which ran from 1973 until 1998, or through his stint as the original presenter of The Late Late Show from its first broadcast on the 5th July 1962 until his last edition on 21 May 1999. His funeral was broadcast live on television and he will be sadly missed by many.
BRENDAN GRACE - 1951-2019
Much loved Dublin-born comedian Brendan Grace passed away during the year after spending four weeks in hospital receiving treatment for pneumonia. He was also receiving ongoing care and treatment for cancer. Grace began his career as a singer but later turned to comedy, becoming famous for characters such as Bottler and the Father of the Bride, as well as a stint in Fr Ted as Fr Fintan Stack. He is survived by his wife Eileen, children and grandchildren, and the 100's of fans who turned out for his funeral in Dublin.
LUKE PERRY - 1966-2019
The 52 year old former Beverly Hills 90210 actor and star of current Netflix hit Riverdale died in March after suffering a massive stroke. He was laid to rest in an eco-friendly mushroom burial suit as per his request.
ALBERT FINNEY - 1936-2019
The veteran British actor and five-time Academy Award nominee, best known for his roles in Annie, and Erin Brockovich, died at the age of 82. Finney married Penelope Delmage in 2006 and is survived by her and a son, Simon Finney.
DORIS DAY - 1922-2019
A massive animal lover, her death was announced by the Doris Day Animal Foundation. Day was a big screen favourite from the 50's and 60's from suspense thriller The Man Who Knew Too Much (which received an Oscar for her song Que Sera Sera) to comedy classics such as Calamity Jane and Pillow Talk. She was married four times and was 97 when she passed away.
GARY RHODES - 1960-2019
Widely acclaimed to be one of the original celebrity chefs, Rhodes was a Michelin star restaurant owner who first appeared on TV at the age of 27. Known for his trademark spiked hair, he fronted a variety of shows including MasterChef and Rhodes Around Britain. The 59 year old was filing a new TV series in Dubai when passed away suddenly in November.
KEITH FLINT - 1969-2019
Flint was a founding member of the UK electronic dance band The Prodigy which started out as a dance act before making their own style of music in the early 1990s. The band had huge successes with albums such as Music For The Jilted Generation and Fat Of The Land with Flint as their enigmatic front man. However sadly he died by suicide in March of this year.
MICHAEL WRIGHT - "THE MAD HATTER" -
Local Dungarvan entertainer and DJ, The Mad Hatter passed away during the year. He was well known and loved in the town and was a regular at events such as Dungarvan Aglow and the Helvic Swim. He ran for the local elections in 2014 with the slogan "Make your vote matter, vote for the Hatter." He was also heavily involved in the RNLI and a plaque has since been unveiled in Helvic in his memory.
MARIE FREDRIKSSON - 1958 - 2019
Swedish pop singer and half of the group Roxette Fredriksson passed away in December from the recurrence of a previous brain tumour. She was 61 years old. Fredriksson and singer-songwriter Per Gessle formed Roxette in 1986 and they had numerous international hits including Joyride, Dressed For success, and It Must Have Been Love from the Pretty Woman movie soundtrack.
RIC OCASEK - 1944 - 2019
Founding member and Lead Singer of The Cars, Ocasek was also a music producer who worked with other bands like Weezer and No Doubt. He had been inducted in to the Hall of Fame in 2018 as part of The Cars but was found dead at his New York City townhouse in September of this year, where he had been recovering from surgery.
DAN MCGRATH
Local photographer Dan McGrath passed away in late December. He was a regular attendee of many sporting events and was one of the organsiers of the McGrath Clan Gathering. He is survived by his partner Lijana, and his daughter Olivia and will be sadly missed by many in Waterford who were shocked to hear of his passing.
