Ronan Tynan
Encyclopedia
Ronan Tynan is a singer in the classical Irish
style. He is most famous for his renditions of "God Bless America
" at Yankee Stadium
during important New York Yankees
games, such as Opening Day, nationally-televised games, the last game at the old Yankee Stadium, and playoff games. Additionally he occasionally sings for the National Hockey League
's Buffalo Sabres
and performed before 71,217 fans at the AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic along with Sabres anthem singer Doug Allen, who performed the Canadian national anthem
, on January 1, 2008, when the Sabres played the Pittsburgh Penguins
. Tynan has not performed for the Sabres since Terrence Pegula
purchased the team in 2011. He is also known for participating in the 1984
and 1988 Summer Paralympics
.
Tynan was a member of the Irish Tenors
until he left to pursue his solo career in May 2004. In this same year, he sang "New York, New York
" at Belmont Stakes
and less than a week later he was at the Washington National Cathedral
for former United States
President
Ronald Reagan
's state funeral
, where he sang "Amazing Grace
" and Franz Schubert
's "Ave Maria
".
. His family home is in County Kilkenny
, Ireland
. He was born with phocomelia
, causing both of his lower legs to be underdeveloped; his legs were unusually short (he is now 6 foot 4), his feet were splayed outward, and he had three toes on each foot. He was one of a set of twins, but his twin brother Edmond died at 11 months old. At age 20, he had his legs amputated
below the knee, after a back injury from a car accident; the injury to his back made it impossible for him to continue using prosthetic legs without the amputation. Within weeks of the accident, he was climbing stairs at his college dormitory on artificial legs. Within a year, Tynan was winning in the international competitions in track and field athletics. He represented Ireland in the 1984 and 1988 Summer Paralympics, winning a total of four golds, two silvers, and one bronze medal. Between 1981 and 1984, he won 18 eighteen gold medals from various competitions and 14 world records.
In the following years, Tynan became the first person with a disability to be admitted to the National College of Physical Education
, in Limerick
. He worked for about two years in the prosthetics industry, then went on to Trinity College
, became a physician
specializing in Orthopedic Sports Injuries, and graduated in 1993.
Encouraged to also study voice by his father Edmund, Tynan won a series of voice competition awards and joined the Irish Tenors.
A devout Roman Catholic, Tynan has appeared on Eternal Word television Network (EWTN)
. At the invitation of New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan
, he sang at the Archbishop's installation Mass in St. Patrick's Cathedral
on 15 April 2009.
has attended. Some of them include (boldface indicate those that occurred at Washington National Cathedral
):
" for Game 1 of the 2009 American League Championship Series
on October 16, 2009 because of the incident.
Tynan explained that two Jewish women came to view a neighboring apartment to his and the estate agent had said that they were very particular, and the pair had laughed about it. Some time afterwards another estate agent showed up with a potential client, with the agent joking to Tynan "at least they're not (Boston) Red Sox
fans". Tynan replied referring to the exacting women he had met earlier: "At least they're not the Jewish ladies." The prospective client, Dr Gabrielle Gold-Von Simson, who is a Jewish pediatrician, took umbrage and said: "Why would you say that?" Tynan replied: "That would be scary", and laughed, referring to the previous incident. In response to Tynan's subsequent apology, the Anti Defamation League national director, Abraham Foxman, said: "It is our belief that when an individual who has a record of good works, as does Dr Tynan, slips up on one occasion, a sincere apology should help everyone move on."
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
style. He is most famous for his renditions of "God Bless America
God Bless America
"God Bless America" is an American patriotic song written by Irving Berlin in 1918 and revised by him in 1938. The later version has notably been recorded by Kate Smith, becoming her signature song ....
" at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
during important New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
games, such as Opening Day, nationally-televised games, the last game at the old Yankee Stadium, and playoff games. Additionally he occasionally sings for the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
and performed before 71,217 fans at the AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic along with Sabres anthem singer Doug Allen, who performed the Canadian national anthem
O Canada
It has been noted that the opening theme of "O Canada" bears a strong resemblance to the "Marsch der Priester" , from the opera Die Zauberflöte , composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and that Lavallée's melody was inspired by Mozart's tune...
, on January 1, 2008, when the Sabres played the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
. Tynan has not performed for the Sabres since Terrence Pegula
Terrence Pegula
Terrence M. "Terry" Pegula is an American businessman. Pegula founded East Resources, a natural gas drilling company, before selling the company to Royal Dutch Shell for approximately $4.7 billion....
purchased the team in 2011. He is also known for participating in the 1984
1984 Summer Paralympics
The 1984 Summer Paralympics were the seventh Paralympic Games to be held. They were held in two separate locations, Stoke Mandeville, United Kingdom and in the Mitchel Athletic Complex and Hofstra University in Long Island, New York, United States of America The 1984 Summer Paralympics were the...
and 1988 Summer Paralympics
1988 Summer Paralympics
The 1988 Summer Paralympics were the first Paralympics in 24 years that take place in the same city as the Olympic Games. They took place in Seoul, South Korea. This was the first time the term "Paralympic" came into official use.- Sports :...
.
Tynan was a member of the Irish Tenors
Irish Tenors
The Irish Tenors is the PBS musical singing trio from Ireland started in 1998 by a group of television producers for a of PBS special The Irish Tenors. They have since recorded 5 PBS specials and 7 albums...
until he left to pursue his solo career in May 2004. In this same year, he sang "New York, New York
Theme from New York, New York
"Theme from New York, New York" is the theme song from the Martin Scorsese film New York, New York , composed by John Kander, with lyrics by Fred Ebb. It was written for and performed in the film by Liza Minnelli...
" at Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
and less than a week later he was at the Washington National Cathedral
Washington National Cathedral
The Washington National Cathedral, officially named the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, is a cathedral of the Episcopal Church located in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Of neogothic design, it is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world, the second-largest in...
for former United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's state funeral
Death and state funeral of Ronald Reagan
On June 5, 2004, Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, died after having suffered from Alzheimer's disease for nearly a decade. His seven-day state funeral followed, spanning June 5–11...
, where he sang "Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,...
" and Franz Schubert
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
's "Ave Maria
Ellens dritter Gesang
Ellens dritter Gesang , in English: "Ellen's Third Song", was composed by Franz Schubert in 1825 as part of his Opus 52, a setting of seven songs from Walter Scott's popular epic poem The Lady of the Lake, loosely translated into German.It has become one of Schubert's most popular works under the...
".
Life and career
Tynan was born in Dublin, IrelandRepublic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. His family home is in County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. He was born with phocomelia
Phocomelia
Phocomelia is an extremely rare congenital disorder involving the limbs . Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire coined the term in 1836....
, causing both of his lower legs to be underdeveloped; his legs were unusually short (he is now 6 foot 4), his feet were splayed outward, and he had three toes on each foot. He was one of a set of twins, but his twin brother Edmond died at 11 months old. At age 20, he had his legs amputated
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
below the knee, after a back injury from a car accident; the injury to his back made it impossible for him to continue using prosthetic legs without the amputation. Within weeks of the accident, he was climbing stairs at his college dormitory on artificial legs. Within a year, Tynan was winning in the international competitions in track and field athletics. He represented Ireland in the 1984 and 1988 Summer Paralympics, winning a total of four golds, two silvers, and one bronze medal. Between 1981 and 1984, he won 18 eighteen gold medals from various competitions and 14 world records.
In the following years, Tynan became the first person with a disability to be admitted to the National College of Physical Education
Thomond College of Education, Limerick
Thomond College of Education, Limerick was established in 1973 in Limerick, Ireland as the National College of Physical Education to train physical education teachers...
, in Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
. He worked for about two years in the prosthetics industry, then went on to Trinity College
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
, became a physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
specializing in Orthopedic Sports Injuries, and graduated in 1993.
Encouraged to also study voice by his father Edmund, Tynan won a series of voice competition awards and joined the Irish Tenors.
A devout Roman Catholic, Tynan has appeared on Eternal Word television Network (EWTN)
Eternal Word Television Network
The Eternal Word Television Network is an American cable television network which presents Catholic-themed programming. It was founded in 1980 by Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation, PCPA...
. At the invitation of New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan
Timothy Dolan
Timothy Michael Dolan is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He is the tenth and current Archbishop of New York, having previously served as Archbishop of Milwaukee and Auxiliary Bishop of St. Louis ....
, he sang at the Archbishop's installation Mass in St. Patrick's Cathedral
St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
The Cathedral of St. Patrick is a decorated Neo-Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral church in the United States...
on 15 April 2009.
Presidential performances
Tynan has performed in several events President George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
has attended. Some of them include (boldface indicate those that occurred at Washington National Cathedral
Washington National Cathedral
The Washington National Cathedral, officially named the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, is a cathedral of the Episcopal Church located in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Of neogothic design, it is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world, the second-largest in...
):
- Ronald Reagan's state funeralDeath and state funeral of Ronald ReaganOn June 5, 2004, Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, died after having suffered from Alzheimer's disease for nearly a decade. His seven-day state funeral followed, spanning June 5–11...
- George H. W. BushGeorge H. W. BushGeorge Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
's 80th birthday - Prayer service marking George W. Bush 's second inauguration
- St. Patrick's Day reception with President Bush and IrishIrish peopleThe Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
TaoiseachTaoiseachThe Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Bertie AhernBertie AhernPatrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008.... - 2008 President's Dinner
Anti-Semitic comment
Tynan made what was construed to be an anti-Semitic remark to a real estate agent and prospective buyer Dr. Gabrielle Gold-von Simson, who was looking at an apartment in Tynan's building on Manhattan's East Side. Shortly after this the Yankees canceled Tynan's performance of "God Bless AmericaGod Bless America
"God Bless America" is an American patriotic song written by Irving Berlin in 1918 and revised by him in 1938. The later version has notably been recorded by Kate Smith, becoming her signature song ....
" for Game 1 of the 2009 American League Championship Series
2009 American League Championship Series
The American League Championship Series , the second round of the 2009 American League playoffs, was a best-of-seven game series matching the two winners of the 2009 American League Division Series...
on October 16, 2009 because of the incident.
Tynan explained that two Jewish women came to view a neighboring apartment to his and the estate agent had said that they were very particular, and the pair had laughed about it. Some time afterwards another estate agent showed up with a potential client, with the agent joking to Tynan "at least they're not (Boston) Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
fans". Tynan replied referring to the exacting women he had met earlier: "At least they're not the Jewish ladies." The prospective client, Dr Gabrielle Gold-Von Simson, who is a Jewish pediatrician, took umbrage and said: "Why would you say that?" Tynan replied: "That would be scary", and laughed, referring to the previous incident. In response to Tynan's subsequent apology, the Anti Defamation League national director, Abraham Foxman, said: "It is our belief that when an individual who has a record of good works, as does Dr Tynan, slips up on one occasion, a sincere apology should help everyone move on."