Halfway Home by Ronan Tynan

Review by Vicki Carver

In the past few years “The Irish Tenors” have become a popular singing group around the world. They have recorded several CDs which include Irish songs such as “Danny Boy” and a variety of other heart warming songs.

Halfway Home is an autobiography written by Ronan Tynan who is a member of “The Irish Tenors”. Tynan was born in 1960 with a lower limb disability which caused him severe pain throughout his childhood in Ireland. By the age of 20 he was advised to have both of his legs amputated below the knee.

In spite of Ronan’s disability he had an active, eventful childhood growing up in the small village of Johnstown in the north of County Kilkenny which is 75 miles from Dublin. He spent his first three years in a hospital but was finally able to go home to his parent’s rural home. In spite of uncomfortable leg braces, Tynan learned to horseback ride and roam the countryside. As a teenager he competed in horseback riding events.

After graduating from high school Tynan pursued a college education and participated in the Paralympic Games. He worked in the prosthetics industry and went on to study medicine at Trinity College specializing in orthopedic sports injuries.

The love of music seemed to be interwoven into Tynan’s other life pursuits. After earning his medical degree he began to seriously pursue a career in music. By participating in several singing competitions and seriously studying to improve his voice, Tynan launched his singing career. Eventually he was invited to join a new singing group being organized in Ireland called the “Irish Tenors”. From that point on, Tynan’s fame and fortune as a singer were guaranteed.

Tynan’s life experiences were well documented in this book. His close relationship with his father was explained in detail. Tynan’s high opinion of himself was prevalent throughout the book.

Halfway Home provides the reader with an in-depth review of Ronan Tynan’s life. Anyone who enjoys listening to the “Irish Tenors” would enjoy learning more about Tynan.

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