Eoin Ryan was educated at St. Mary's College and at College of Commerce, Rathmines, and at Kildalton Horticulture College, County Kilkenny.
Ryan started his political career in 1985 in the Dublin City Council. In February 2000, he was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation.
Between 2004 and 2009, he was member of the European Parliament. During that period he was member of the Union for Europe of the Nations Group, member of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, member of the Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia and the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), member of the Temporary Committee on the alleged use of European countries by the CIA for the transport and illegal detention of prisoners, member of the Committee on Petitions, member of the Delegation for relations with India.