Epilogue

... afterwards, along with my appreciation of the story, and its affirmation of our childhood experiences of Ireland, come different emotions: my almost unaware feelings for my dad, his death in the war and his absence from our lives were touched and stirred by the story.

Also for me, it put the taboo subject of death on the agenda in a very Irish way.

And, probably unknown to Auntie Mary, it helped me to engage with, recognise and, ultimately, resolve some of my feelings arising from my father's untimely death.

[Much, much later I was to write about my childhood experience in a series of books the first of which is entitled ( A Real Story --- Not a Hollywood Film )]