HIS brilliance as a broadcaster and passion for Waterford have been remembered in a touching new documentary on former WLR broadcaster Billy McCarthy who died five years ago this week.

'The Voice of Waterford' is a two-hour tribute to the memory of the late Billy whose death in 2016 sent Waterford into mourning.

Written and presented by WLR's Maria McCann, produced by Jennifer Long and edited by Michael Byrne, the special programme on Billy features the voices of those who knew him – family, friends, and work colleagues over the years.

It also includes many figures from across the worlds of politics, the arts etc who were interviewed by Billy on his ‘Deise Am’ show which was the most listened to radio programme in Waterford for 27 years.

Billy’s partner Des O’Keeffe told the programme that Billy just loved the job.

”Never once did Billy say I’m dreading today. He just loved what he was doing. You know, I think he was born for it.”

Billy was just 62 when he died on November 20, 2016, after a short illness.

The ‘Voice of Waterford’ charts his story off and on air, from his childhood, to his break into radio, and then his huge success with the award-winning 'Deise AM' which made him a household name across Waterford and beyond.

WLR Programme Director Michael Byrne said Billy was loved by the Waterford public and his colleagues in WLR – and the special programme, on the milestone of the five-year anniversary of his death – is a nice trip down memory lane for listeners.

“In addition to many interviews with people who knew Billy, there is some great audio in the programmme of some his most memorable interviews on 'Deise AM' – everything from the some of the more ‘lively’ political interviews to some very funny pieces that also featured over the years.”

“We hope people enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it.”