Éamonn Ryan’s ‘whole life’ covered in TG4 documentary

As successful and all as he was with the all-conquering Cork ladies footballers, there is so very much more to Éamonn Ryan’s story
Éamonn Ryan’s ‘whole life’ covered in TG4 documentary

Eamonn Ryan

When director Ronan O’Donoghue made contact with Jim Ryan to float the idea of a documentary paying tribute to his late father, Éamonn, the Ryan family came back with one overarching request.

They wanted the documentary to reflect Éamonn’s “whole life”, rather than focusing on just one specific area because as successful and all as he was with the all-conquering Cork ladies footballers, there is so very much more to Éamonn Ryan’s story.

“He had a huge, huge impact on a lot of people and in a lot of areas. That really comes across in the documentary and so we are delighted with it,” said Jim ahead of the airing of ‘Éamonn Ryan: An Máistir’ on TG4 (Thursday, 9.20pm).

“He was involved in mens teams, ladies teams, club, inter-county, underage, and schools. And when he was coaching, he would have taken a holistic approach. He would have looked at the person more so than the athlete.

“You get one shot at this [documentary] and we felt it was important that a whole broad aspect of his life was shown, from being involved at home in Watergrasshill to ending up in Ballingeary. All of that is in it, so that’s fantastic from our perspective.”

This beautifully rounded take on Éamonn’s life, who passed away last January, is evident from the opening minute of the documentary when Pat O’Leary, a past-pupil of Éamonn’s in Watergrasshill, remarks that the former principal “could transmit his own infectious passion into you, be that on the pitch or in the classroom”.

The camera returns to O’Leary later on in the documentary where he expands on his earlier point, painting a very clear picture of how one did not need to be in any way sports inclined to connect with or be shaped by the master.

“When he passed away, the likes of us might speak about the love of sport he put in us. There were other people in our class talking about the love of geography, Irish, maths, as he was just passionate about everything. Other people in the class, then, mentioned that he introduced us to classical music in sixth class.

“We were all in the same room together at the same time listening to the same stuff, but he could just reach everybody in a different way. As good as he was a coach, and there was no one better, I think, as a teacher, he was nearly even better.”

Several members of the Ryan family contribute to the hour-long programme, including Éamonn’s wife Pat who recalls his refusal to allow the cancer diagnosis he received in 2003 affect his everyday life.

“He’d go into hospital in the morning to get his radium treatment, then he’d go back to the University (UCC, where he was working at the time), and go to training in the evenings,” she remembered, adding that “he faced his illness with strength and courage”.

Jim commended his mother for summoning her own strength and courage to sit in front of a camera and talk about her late husband at a time when his passing was still “raw enough” for the family.

“He was poorly around this time last year and a lot of us didn’t get to see as much of him as we would have liked, so maybe there is something cathartic about this documentary,” said Jim.

“Ronan and Helena Keane and the whole production gang were so interested in us being happy and there was never any pressure. Everything was done with delicacy and with us being to the centre of everything. There was massive consideration on their part. They were excellent in the way they approached it and the way they dealt with us.”

When chatting with Jim about his late father, he dropped into conversation one of Éamonn’s favourite sayings, which is to appreciate what you have now before time makes you appreciate what you had.

It is a phrase referenced by 10-time All-Ireland winner Valerie Mulcahy during the documentary. And no more than the many other contributors influenced by Éamonn, Mulcahy didn’t need any passing of time to develop a deep appreciation for being so privileged as to stand in the same field as him for as long as she did. “I miss him. We had a beautiful relationship and I’m really grateful that he was part of our lives. And that we got the opportunity to play and to be part of that golden journey,” says a clearly emotional Mulcahy.

It is a sentiment, no doubt, widely, widely echoed.

- Éamonn Ryan: An Máistir’ on TG4, Thursday, December 30 at 9.20pm.

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