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THE DEATH HAS occurred of presenter with WLR FM in Waterford Billy McCarthy after a “short and sudden illness. He was 62.
The news was announced by WLR in a statement:
“Waterford local radio station WLR FM is very saddened that our loved colleague Billy McCarthy has died after a short illness.”
McCarthy first presented The Good News Programme on WLR in 1983 when it was still a pirate station.
He continued to present for the next thirty years, and took over the Deise AM morning slot in 1989 when the station obtained a licence.
“Since then, the programme has consistently been the most listened to radio show in Waterford for the last 27 years,” WLR said.
The announcement has been met with dismay on social media.
“Billy’s friends and colleagues at WLR FM and everyone at the Broadcast Centre are all shocked and deeply saddened by his passing and extend their sincere sympathies to his partner Des O’Keeffe, his mother Kay, his sister Celine, brothers Declan and Ronan and his extended family, relatives and many friends,” WLR managing director Des Whelan said.
Billy was a much loved friend and colleague of all of us here at WLR FM. His untimely death is a huge loss not just to our listeners but to all of us who had the fortune to work with him for many years.
“To his listenership, for whom to many, Billy was an integral part of their daily lives,” he added.
A special programme to remember Billy McCarthy will be broadcast on WLR FM on Monday 21 November from 10am.
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Shocked when i heard this.! He really was the voice of waterford
RIP.
You will be sadly missed here in Waterford.a great man both on and off the radio.may he rest in peace
Very sad. Felt like I knew him through the radio. His Deise AM show was always brilliant. RIP
I grew up listening to Billy or “the voice of Waterford” as I always thought of him. I had the pleasure to appear on stage in Waterford’s majestic Theatre Royal with him once after a competition on Déise AM. I was also a guest on the show once or twice and photographed him many times. He was a class act and a real gent, what a huge loss to his beloved Deise.
R.I.P.
Rip Billy hope you haunt the nasty person who’s giving thumbs down. What hope have we when people can’t evan respect the dead. Sad sad world.
Don’t worry about red thumbs. More important things to worry about
RIP Billy McCarthy. That is sad news, I used to listen to him when I was in Waterford. Condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.
It was a heart attack that did it. A heart attack outside the hours of mon-fri 9-5. A life that could have been saved if only we had our $!@%ing cardiology unit funded and open.
Radio, especially the brand of radio Billy did is unique to Ireland. His show, with his charismatic, warm voice put people on the inside. Along withe likes of Terry Wogan and Gay Byrne his comradery held loneliness at bay with long-form, meandering chats. Waterford has lost an icon, people have lost a friend in their ear.
It was a heart attack that did it. A heart attack outside the hours of mon-fri 9-5. A life that could have been saved if only we had our $!@%ing cardiology unit funded and open.
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