Ronan Tynan:
"You Can Overcome Any Obstacle that Comes your Way"
SEATTLE - Dr. Ronan Tynan, known for his stirring performances as a member of the world-famous Irish Tenors is coming to Seattle on May 8. This special concert the evening before Mother's Day is a joint benefit for the Ballard Northwest and Shoreline/Lake Forest Park Senior Centers.
Tynan has starred in a solo PBS concert, Ronan Tynan: The Impossible Dream, published his memoir, Halfway Home: My Life 'Til Now, and has released a solo CD, My Life Belongs to You. The Irish Tenors PBS Special was one of the most successful in the history of public broadcasting.
Though Ronan Tynan’s singing career has made him a star, his personal story of triumph in the face of adversity is the stuff of which legends are made. The subject of an ABC-TV 20/20 profile, Barbara Walters stated, “Here on 20/20, we’ve told you about a lot of incredible people, but we have never profiled anyone with the accomplishments of the man you’re about to meet. Most people believed he wouldn’t even be able to earn a living, but what he has done is so amazing you may find it hard to believe. It’s a wonderful story.”
Ronan was born in Johnstown, County Kilkenny over 40 years ago with lower limb disability. When he was 20, his legs had to be amputated below the knee after an auto accident caused complications. Just weeks after the operation, he was climbing up the steps of his college dorm. Within a year, he was winning gold medals in the disabled games. Between 1981 and 1984, Ronan amassed 18 gold medals and 14 world records.
Ronan is also an avid equestrian as well as a breeder of horses. In 1998 Ronan represented Ireland in Arnheim, Germany as a member of The Irish Amateur Equestrian Team where he placed fifth in the Grand Prix and third in the team event.
It was this kind of determination that soon propelled Ronan Tynan to conquer a whole new field. He became the first disabled person ever admitted to the National College of Physical Education, and then a full-fledged Medical Doctor, specializing in Orthopedic Sports Injuries, with a degree from prestigious Trinity College.
Encouraged to study voice by his father, Ronan won both the John McCormick Cup for Tenor Voice and the BBC talent show Go For It less than one year after beginning to study music. The following year, Ronan won the prestigious International Operatic Singing Competition in Maumarde, France. His debut Sony album became a top five hit in two weeks, going platinum shortly thereafter.
Ronan says “I want people to realize that regardless of what infirmity or disability, it should never stop you from doing what you want to do. You can mentally make your mind strong enough to overcome any obstacle that comes your way. Make a deal with yourself to take risks, because when you do and it come out right, boy it’s some buzz!.”
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Tickets for Ronan Tynan’s performance at Benaroya Hall in Seattle are now available. General seating is $40 and orchestra seating which includes after-concert reception are $125. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster at (206) 628-0888 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. They are also available at the Seattle Symphony ticket office at Benaroya Hall, 200 Union Street in downtown Seattle (206) 215-4747.
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