Dead Beside Us:
Regular price
€19.99
In this sequel to the hugely-popular This Man’s Wee Boy, young Tony Doherty struggles to come to terms with the murder of his father, Paddy, on Bloody Sunday and the impact it has on his mother, Eileen, and his brothers and sisters. At nine years old, he knows a terrible wrong has been committed against his family but lacks the understanding or the means to do anything about it – yet. For his fractured family, life goes on, with Tony determined to preserve the memory of his father and the bond they shared, even as he becomes increasingly immersed in the violent conflict raging on Derry’s streets. As the 1970s unfold his father’s absence remains the backdrop to the teenage Tony’s newfound friendships and relationships, an ever-present ache amidst the craic and excitement of Sunday dances, first kisses and a trip to Butlins. Then, at seventeen, Tony decides it’s time to join the fight.
Tony Doherty grew up in the Brandywell area of Derry, a small, Catholic, working-class community that both his mother and father were from. He was instrumental in setting up a grassroots campaign in 1992 which led, in 2010, to the exoneration of his father’s name and all those killed and wounded on Bloody Sunday, and to a public apology from British Prime Minister David Cameron. Tony works as the Regional Coordinator of the Healthy Living Centre Alliance and is involved in reform of the health service.