Dr. Denis Ryan
Born in Newport, County Tipperary, Ireland, Dr. Denis Ryan immigrated to Toronto in 1969. He formed the Irish-Canadian folk group, Ryan鈥檚 Fancy, in 1970 with fellow members Fergus O鈥橞yrne and the late Dermot O鈥橰eilly. Dr. Ryan moved to St. John鈥檚, Newfoundland, in 1971 to attend Memorial University, where he graduated with a degree in Folklore. Ryan and his family moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1980 and have been residing there ever since.
Dr. Ryan鈥檚 career has spanned more than 40 years, and he has played all over the world to the delight of his dedicated fans. He has appeared in over 200 television shows in Ireland, the United States and Canada including 78 television shows with the聽Ryan鈥檚 Fancy Tommy Makem聽syndicated series. The group also had a national television series on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in 1976. Another popular television show was聽Ryan鈥檚 Fancy on Campus聽in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Ryan鈥檚 Fancy recorded 13 albums, and in early 2011, they released their 40th Anniversary Collection.
Songs that Ryan鈥檚 Fancy made popular in Ireland and Canada in the 70s and 80s include聽Newport Town,听Logy Bay,听Sweet Forget Me Not听补苍诲听Now I鈥檓 Sixty Four. Dr. Ryan鈥檚 versions of聽Dark Island听补苍诲听Let me Fish off Cape St. Mary鈥檚聽were, to many, the group鈥檚 most popular songs and became Ryan鈥檚 signature pieces. As a singer, he has performed for former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, United States President Ronald Reagan, Queen Elizabeth II and has sung with former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.
In 1983, Ryan鈥檚 Fancy disbanded, and Dr. Ryan has since been working in the Investment Management business. He is involved with numerous 福利免费在线看 projects including serving as the national chairman of the fundraising committee of the Darcy McGee Chair of Irish Studies at St. Mary鈥檚 University and was also on the Board of Governors for St. FX University. Dr. Ryan also served on the Shannon School of Business Advisory Board at Cape Breton University.
In 1994, he received an honorary degree, Doctor of Letters, from St. Mary鈥檚 University. Dr. Ryan was the founder of Nova Scotian Crystal, Canada鈥檚 only hand-cut, mouth-blown crystal manufacturer. Dr. Ryan recorded various solo CD projects, including聽Mist Covered Mountains,听Newport Town,听Here and There听补苍诲听Cape St. Mary鈥檚.
In the mid-1990s, Dr. Ryan hosted the CBC television series,听Up on the Roof. He played the role of a Judge in the Trailer Park Boys movie,听Live in Ireland. He became notorious in 2010 thanks to his appearance in a popular, viral YouTube video about bankers. In October 2015, he hosted a television documentary regarding the Canadian painter,听.
Dr. Ryan received the Tipperary Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 in Dublin, Ireland, for his contributions to Irish culture.