Amid all the glittering music paraphernalia in the house of acclaimed tenor Ronan Tynan, one item nestled on the sideboard offers a reminder of his sporting prowess.
It is a trophy modest in stature but huge in significance…the world disabled athlete of the year award for 1984.
“It was presented to me by American President Ronald Reagan,” the tenor extraordinaire explained.
Just 100 days from the start of the Paris Paralympics, it is a glimpse into a time when sport for the disabled was very much a peripheral event.
Times have changed though – the Paralympics in Tokyo had an estimated television audience of more than 4 billion.
For the Paris edition, Ireland is set to send one of its biggest teams ever in recent games.
The Paralympic programme will include 22 sports and 549 events over 11 days at the end of the summer.
So far, Irish athletes have won a total of 230 paralympic medals – with the hope of many more to come this time round.
After a life changing accident in 1980, Mr Tynan took to sport as part of his rehabilitation.
He excelled – winning medals for his country on the global stage in the 100 metres, discus throw, shot put and javelin.
“I was very committed – anything I got involved in I wanted to be the best I could be,” Mr Tynan said.
“I ended up being the most outstanding male disabled athlete in the world in 1984.”
Mr Tynan has won international acclaim for his singing voice, performing the American national anthem to packed sports stadiums stateside, and for the likes of President George H.W. Bush and Katie Taylor.
Amongst his numerous talents, he has produced prize showjumpers and is a qualified doctor who helped with the vaccine rollout in this country during the pandemic.
But the Paralympics has a special place in his heart.
He is full of praise for those poised to take to the stage in Paris at the end of the summer for the Paralympic games.
“It’s fantastic. When you look at the Irish team, the dedication, the commitment, the joy and you know the work these young people have put in,” he said.
“People can be very naive and think ‘ah well, they’re disabled so…’ but that has absolutely nothing to do with it,” the Kilkenny native said.
“Within their category, within the sometimes-limited ability, they drive themselves way beyond, so it’s always fantastic to watch,” he added.
The award-winning tenor has some words of wisdom too for those heading to the French capital: “Don’t lose faith now – you’ve put in so much work, time and effort. People have such a great belief in you so stay going.
“Go out into that field, or whatever, and just trying to keep knocking on the door to get yourself maybe a split second or a centimetre extra.”
The Paralympics get underway on 28 August, with an ambitious team setting out from Ireland, including several high-profile names such as swimmers Nicole Turner and Róisín Ní Riain.
Ireland won four gold medals, two silver and one bronze last time out – the ambition is for more of the same in the French capital at the end of the summer.
