Ryan first played hurling at juvenile and underage levels with the Garryspillane club and had a career that spanned25 years with the club's top adult team. During that time, he won three County Championshiptitles in three different grades, including a County Senior Championship title in 2005. Ryan first came to prominence on the inter-countyscene at the underage and intermediate levels with Limerick. He joined his brother, T. J. Ryan, on the Limerick senior hurling team for the Oireachtas Cup in 1997, however, it was 2002 before he established himself on the team. Ryan was at left corner-forward when Limerick lost the 2007 All-Ireland final to Kilkenny. His inter-county career ended when he was dropped from the panel in 2011.