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About My Father
by Paul Sheridan
Format: Paperback
Publication date: 16th January, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-906018-35-1
Price: €14.99
About My Father is Dublin author Paul Sheridan’s moving tribute to his father Jack, his life and times, and the powerful impact he had on his family and all who met and loved him. About My Father is the story of one man’s life, a deeply personal and touching family memoir and a fascinating account of the Irish urban experience in the last century.
This story is about an ordinary, honest, working-class Joe Soap, who was not all that well educated. He left school at the age of fourteen, was no star pupil and never won any free scholarships. However, he must have taken on some kind of post-educational activity, because he became quite proficient at both reading and mathematics. He read the odd book once in a while and read the evening paper from cover to cover each day without fail. He had a fantastic memory as well as a great capacity to retain knowledge. He enjoyed quiz programs on radio and television and could answer all the questions. He was in fact very well self-educated.
He had a great work ethic, and during my upbringing he was never out of work, except for an accident on the job. He was up with the lark at six o’clock every morning, hail, rain, or snow, no matter how ill he was or how bad he felt. He took the occasional drink and suffered the odd hangover, and was quite prone to bouts of cold and flu, yet he never missed a day’s work. He was light years ahead where healthy living was concerned, and keeping a healthy heart was for him a major priority. He believed firmly in plenty of exercise and a healthy diet, and cleanliness was a big issue with him. He washed his hands constantly and made sure his children did the same. He twice bought his own home, and believed in women’s lib, by supporting and respecting his wife as well as sharing the household duties. For a person of his background such things were uncommon.
He never became rich and famous, and never aspired to be either. His goal in life was to support and care for his family, a family he loved and who loved him back. This goal he achieved with great success, just like many other men of his era in similar circumstances.
