Introduction

I was encouraged by family members to recall, and to write down, as much as I could of my childhood days and of my subsequent career. I started work on the story around 2018 or 2019, then COVID intervened. Then I got sidetracked into investigating, as best I could, the origin story of my paternal O’Connor ancestors, so I’m only now, in 2026, getting around to completing it.

But now I’ve finished, thank goodness, before I forget what it is I wanted to say. No doubt the story will be familiar, particularly to Liz and the kids, and perhaps somewhat less so to my siblings.

But I’m sure this will all be a blank slate to my grandkids, whom I treasure, so Aoife, Nolan, and Maeve, this is for you.

The story does meander, to satisfy a few differing requirements, including describing my domestic early years, my working career and then covering some topics suggested by StoryWorth, the software I used to put form around the writing.

And although nobody asked me to, I decided to include a chapter on my sailing history because I owned and sailed three yachts over the period 2008 to 2026. Eighteen years was quite the stretch and some might say it represented another career.

Certainly it did comprise attributes of my working life: pushing boundaries, never accepting the status quo and following my instincts. The results were equally rewarding. I was able to spend quality time on board with family and friends, I reached new horizons and explored destinations reachable only by boat.

As I sit back and reflect on the contents of the story I’m aware that there have been omissions, both of good times and others less so. But this effort will have to suffice. Omar Khayyam got it right when he said “The moving finger writes; and having writ, Moves on.”