Ronan Tynan

Ronan Tynan (born 14 May 1960) is an Irish tenor singer.

He is most notable as a member of The Irish Tenors re-joining in 2011 while continuing to pursue his solo career since May 2004. In the United States, audiences have come to know and appreciate him for his involvement with that vocal group and for his renditions of "God Bless America." He is also known for participating in the 1984 and 1988 Summer Paralympics.

Life and career

Tynan was born in Dublin, Ireland. His family home is in Johnstown, 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 gold medals from various competitions and set 14 world records.

Tynan

Coordinates: 54°19′48″N 6°49′22″W / 54.33007°N 6.822644°W / 54.33007; -6.822644

Tynan (from Irish: Tuíneán, meaning "watercourse") is a village, townland (of 375 acres) and civil parish in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is situated largely in the historic barony of Tiranny, with some areas in the barony of Armagh. It had a population of 71 people (35 households) in the 2011 Census. (2001 Census: 71 people)

History

Tynan won the status as the most well preserved rural Irish village in 1993.

The Troubles

Places of interest

Tynan Abbey has an extensive demesne, a country house belonging to the Stronge family was situated here until it was destroyed by the Provisional IRA in 1981. The ruins have since been demolished. The grounds hold an extensive cemetery with grave stones going back centuries and others worn beyond recognition.

Tynan has a High cross in the village's church yard, dating from 700–900. It shows a carving of Adam and Eve under an apple tree.

Transport

Tynan was formerly served by mainline trains of the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) and was also the eastern terminus of the narrow gauge Clogher Valley Railway (which opened in 1887 and closed in 1941). Tynan railway station (on the Clogher Valley railway opened on 2 May 1887 and shut 1 January 1942. Tynan and Caledon railway station on the mainline opened on 25 May 1858 and shut on 1 October 1957.

Rónán

Rónán (anglicized Ronan) is an Irish language male given name meaning "little seal" (Rón meaning "seal", and -án being a diminutive suffix). It may refer to: Legend tells of a seal who is warned never to stray too close to the land. When the “”seal child”" is swept ashore by a huge wave, she becomes trapped in a human form, known as a “”Selkie”" or “”seal maiden.”" Although she lives as the wife of a fisherman and bears him children, known as “”ronans”" or “”little seals,”" she never quite loses her “”sea-longing.”" Eventually she finds the “”seal-skin”" which the fisherman has hidden and slips back into the ocean. But she can’t forget her husband and children and can even be seen swimming close to the shore, keeping a watchful eye on them.

People

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.

"God Bless America" takes the form of a prayer (intro lyrics "as we raise our voices, in a solemn prayer") for God's blessing and peace for the nation ("...stand beside her and guide her through the night...").

History

Irving Berlin wrote the song in 1918 while serving the U.S. Army at Camp Upton in Yaphank, New York, but decided that it did not fit in a revue called Yip Yip Yaphank, so he set it aside. The lyrics at that time included the line "Make her victorious on land and foam, God bless America..." as well as "Stand beside her and guide her to the right with the light from above".

Music critic Jody Rosen says that a 1906 Jewish dialect novelty song, "When Mose with His Nose Leads the Band," contains a six-note fragment that is "instantly recognizable as the opening strains of "God Bless America"". He interprets this as an example of Berlin's "habit of interpolating bits of half-remembered songs into his own numbers." Berlin, born Israel Baline, had himself written several Jewish-themed novelty tunes.

Flowers of the Forest

Flowers of the Forest is an ancient Scottish folk tune commemorating the defeat of the Scottish army of James IV at the Battle of Flodden in September 1513. Although the original words are unknown, the melody was recorded c. 1615-25 in the John Skene of Halyards Manuscript as "Flowres of the Forrest", although it might have been composed earlier.

Several versions of words have been added to the tune, notably Jean Elliot's lyrics in 1756 or 1758. Others include those by Alison Cockburn below. However, many renditions are played on the Great Highland Bagpipe. Due to the content of the lyrics and the reverence for the tune, it is one of the few tunes that many pipers will perform in public only at funerals or memorial services, with play otherwise limited to private practice or to instruct other pipers.

The Air

The tune is a simple modal melody. Typical of old Scottish tunes it is entirely pentatonic, with the dramatic exception of the 3rd and 5th notes of the second line which are the flattened 7th.