Tony Ryan RIP - A rare man with a legacy of inspiration

DR TONY RYAN was that rarest kind of man. Dr Ryan, who will be laid to rest today, had global and decades-long perspectives.

He had tremendous ambition for himself, for those around him and for his country.

He also had that trait that sits comfortably with all great leaders — he could readily identify talent and had the wisdom and generosity to foster it.

He did not feel threatened by the abilities of others and worked to ensure that potential was not squandered. He moulded people for the benefit of his projects, the individual and the country in general.

Michael O’Leary and Denis O’Brien may be the most easily recognised businessmen to have acknowledged Dr Ryan’s role in developing their careers but they are not the only ones to benefit from his sometimes forceful mentoring.

His support of many institutions — academic, business, sporting or cultural — was much more than financial. He engendered levels of ambition unusual in the Ireland of three decades ago. Almost through a process of osmosis he raised the bar for everyone around him and for every organisation that enjoyed his patronage.

Those qualities alone do not guarantee success but Dr Ryan, born in Thurles in 1936, also had the courage, resilience and the great energy that allowed him to embolden those who worked around him to take the risks needed to realise his dreams.

And what dreams they were.

He joined Aer Lingus in the mid 1950s as a dispatch boy and became the airline’s operations manager in America. It is doubtful if such a career path could be followed today.

Simply put he was one of the few men who revolutionised the world’s airline industry and made it possible for us all to enjoy cheap travel and the benefits that brings, personal or economic.

It may be a forgotten footnote but Dr Ryan was one of the men who changed the nature of emigration from a monochrome and near bankrupt country.

What was once a life sentence of separation for families became one of no more than relatively easy commutes. He kept families in contact in a way denied to Irish emigrants of earlier decades.

Eulogies are too often formalised set pieces, lists of achievements gleefully punctuated by the occasional setback, balance sheets presenting material acquisitions as the greatest achievements but in Dr Ryan’s case there is so much more.

He was a real leader who inspired others to be the best they could and to turn effort into achievement. His ordinary origins did not limit the scope of his dreams nor his determination to realise them.

Through his energy and vision he helped create the climate and people to build the Celtic Tiger, which has changed all our lives.

Leaders in all spheres of Irish life — as well as the rest of us — might do well to reflect on the dynamism, vision, determination and achievement of the Tipperary man; we could learn a lot. Sadly, this reflection, and any comparison, will only show how scarce real leaders are.

His wonderful example of what can be achieved by genuine, uplifting leadership is his finest legacy.