Gerry Ryan book delayed due to court action

The publication of a book by Gerry Ryan’s former partner, Melanie Verwoerd, has been delayed for two weeks as a result of legal action initiated by music promoter and friend of Gerry’s, Dave Kavanagh.

Verwoerd was in a relationship with Gerry during the last two years of his life and has always insisted that he was drug-free during that period – a contention she repeats in the book. The autopsy showed that there were traces of cocaine in the former RTÉ 2fm star's blood when he died.

Kavanagh, who was part of the Town Bar & Grill party who dined with Gerry the night before he died, claims that When We Dance: A Memoir contains defamatory statements. The matter will be considered by the High Court on October 22 and a temporary injunction has been granted until that date at least.

Originally due to be published today, by Dublin’s Liberties Press, and including a foreword by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the book devotes 176 of its pages to the former South African ambassador and head of UNICEF Ireland’s relationship with Ryan. Hot Press has read the book, and can confirm that in it Verwoerd makes a number of highly contentious claims, which have now become the subject of legal action.