Me Father Was A Hero And Me Mother Is A Saint Book

Me Father Was a Hero and Me Mother Is a Saint is the true story of a large working-class family from North Dublin. “It begins with the period of my father’s service with ‘E’ company 1st Battalion Dublin Brigade during the War of Independence against the British, and his incarceration in Mountjoy Prison during the period of the war.”


The book pulls no punches as it details the execution of Kevin Barry and the subsequent hunger strike in protest. The author relates his father’s service with the IRA during the Civil War in 1922-23 and his being jailed again.


During World War II, his father joined the British Army and served with the 8th Army in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. 


My mother had 23 pregnancies. Eleven of us survived. She was evicted from our house due to non-payment of rent during a period when my father was posted missing in action and presumed killed.”


The story continues in the post-war years, as Eamonn Sheridan’s family lived in poverty in Dublin City centre, but was later forced through economic circumstances to emigrate to England during the 1950s.


My father was a good living, no nonsense tough patriot who was modest and very reluctant to talk about his experiences in war. My mother was gentle, good humoured and caring, and never complained no matter how hard life got.”