He formed the Irish- Canadian folk group Ryan's Fancy in 1970 with Fergus O’Byrne and the late Dermot O’Reilly and moved to St. John's Newfoundland in 1971 to attend Memorial University where he graduated with a degree in Folklore.
Other TV shows included Ryan's Fancy on Campus in the late 70's and early 80's, also on the CBC.
Songs that Ryan made popular in Ireland and Canada in the 70s and 80's include "Newport Town", "Mulchair River", "Logy Bay", "Sweet Forget Me Not", and "Now I’m Sixty Four".
In 1994 he received an honorary degree, Doctor of Letters from St. Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Ryan recorded various solo CD projects, including Mist Covered Mountains, Newport Town, Here and There, and Cape St. Marys.