Tommy Tiernan viewers in agreement over ‘refreshingly honest’ guest

Simon Kelly

“Knocking it out of the park.”

Viewers tuned in for another strong Tommy Tiernan Show this Sunday evening, and the host’s first guest received a heap of praise.

Paralympian Peter Ryan joined Tommy in the studio, beginning the interview by explaining that, as a teenager, he was diagnosed with the rare hereditary condition called Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy.

The condition led him to rapidly lose 90% of his eyesight in just over a year.

“I am legally blind,” the 33-year-old said. “I am a former Irish Paralympian who retired during the summer. During COVID I started delving into ultra endurance running.”

Tommy was shocked to hear that Peter only had 10% of his vision, saying that he was “very careful and measured” walking out.

“I have peripheral vision and I am still dealing with that that 10 or 12 years later,” the athlete explained. “I have learned to adapt. My condition is a hereditary one and it is degenerative. It happened quite quickly.”

Peter said that despite being just a few feet from Tommy, he couldn’t see him at all. However, since he had vision up until he was 19, he has “context in how I navigate the world.”

Tommy Tiernan viewers in agreement over ‘refreshingly honest’ guest

Peter revealed that initially after his diagnosis he did “all the good Irish stereotypes” and pushed the problem away.

“I put up the front and pretended I was grand,” he continued. “I was the master at dodging at chat but all the time I was in my head, I drank to excess, I did it all.

Peter said that luckily his family intervened. “My sister was able to tell me that she was worried and people don’t get worried about you without you knowing what you are doing yourself.

“I was a little lost and confused and I didn’t know what to do,” he explained, saying that he “didn’t know how to be visually impaired or blind.

“I wasn’t secure or confident in myself, I suppose. You’re carrying this thing that in your head, it’s your biggest insecurity. You think it devalues your offering.”

The Tommy Tiernan Show
Season 8 | Episode 12 #TommyTiernanShow

ℹ️ Peter Ryan, John Cooper Clarke, Louize Carroll, music from Susan O'Neill performing 'Drive' with MC duties by Fred Cooke

📺 Stream the episode now on @RTEplayer via https://t.co/F5ANo6BIFs pic.twitter.com/WyDd2z8y88
— Tommy Tiernan (@Tommedian) March 24, 2024

He said that he turned a corner after therapy and finding an outlet in sport again.

In 2016, Peter represented Ireland in cycling at the Rio Paralympic Games. Two years later, he became the first Paralympian to complete the Race Around Ireland in just 122 hours.

Viewers were quick to praise Peter for his honesty over how he dealt with his diagnosis and his sense of humour.

One said: “Really enjoyed Peter Ryan on Tommy Tiernan Show tonight. Inspirational and a real Tipperary legend.”

Another added: “Peter Ryan… what an articulate, intelligent young man…. knocking it out of the park… and a wicked sense of humour to boot…. good on you …. best of luck.”

A third said: “Peter Ryan summarises it really well. When having a disability a priority can be placed on putting up a front but fantastic to see him on the Tommy Tiernan Show talking so openly about his health.”

Also on the show on Sunday was poet John Cooper Clarke, Psychologist Louize Carroll and musical guest Susan O’Neill.