I was born and reared in the village of Patrickswell. About six miles from Limerick City. At the age of 17 years I started to exercise greyhounds. In the evening, with another man who was a good few years older than me. When we were finished walking the greyhounds, the other man suggested that we should go to the local pub for a drink. Which I didn’t object to.
I started on having a couple of half pints of Guinness. I progressed to having a good few half pints. Then it was full pints, and after a few months it was pints of Guinness. Next I moved on to small whiskeys. To make a long story short, I was an alcoholic within a couple of years.
I was also smoking heavily, which caused me asthma at a young age. I also had a foul tongue, and could be bitter with people.
I wasn’t always honest either, when we were racing the greyhounds. I often helped in wrong tactics, to stop our dog of winning. When we had our money on other dogs to win.
Anyway, in the early 1970’s, I had to go to hospital with asthma. Also from the effects of alcohol. I did not drink alcohol after coming out of hospital. I fully intended to stay off it for good!
On the l7th of March 1973, I decided to go to the races in Limerick. St Patrick’s day was always one of the biggest race meetings in Limerick. I nearly always went. I was off the drink for 12 months at that stage.
I stood out on the road. Knowing that someone would come along and give me a lift to Limerick. A neighbour named Michael came along and picked me up. It was a very cold rainy day. He also happened to be going to the races.
After entering the racecourse Michael asked me in for a drink. I refused and told him that I was off the drink. He didn’t take no for answer, and kept asking me in.
To appreciate him giving me a lift, I agreed to go in for a drink. I told him I was drinking a mineral water (non alcohol). He went up to the bar, and arrived with two hot whiskeys.
Again, I refused but he said “Have the one, it will warm you up.” Reluctantly, I took it. I felt under obligation, to buy one back. So I got two more, and we had two more, and then several more.
To cut a long story short, we eventually went out of the bar. The last of five races was on. I went to an advantage point to see the race.
Well, I saw more horses and jockeys than was in the whole of county Limerick. I didn’t see much point in watching the race, so back in to the bar again, and more drinks.
When the races were over, we met up with another man we knew. He said to leave our car, and I understood he was going to drive us home. When we came out the racecourse gate, he turned left to go into the city. Instead of right to Patrickswell.
We went into another bar in the city and more drinks. Then the man drove us back to the car and left us there. We sat in the car for awhile, to see what we would do. I eventually decided to drive home.
Michael fell asleep shortly after we left Limerick. I must also have fallen asleep near the village of Patrickswell.
The next thing I knew, was that we were after crashing into the sign for Patrickswell. Knocking it flat to the round, so I must have hit it fairly hard. The Lord must have His hand upon me, because none of the two of us were injured.
As a matter fact, I got the car back out on the road. I went up the village and turned it around. I decided to park on the side of the street.
After a while, I decided to go to the local Garda barrack. I reported what had happened. The local sergeant came out to the desk, and I told him what had happened. The first question he asked was “did I knock down anybody?” Truthfully, I did not know. After asking a few more questions, and using a few strong rude adjectives. He told me to go home immediately. Go to bed, and he would deal with it the following morning. Meanwhile, my brother also heard about it. He came to see me and I got more abuse.
I got up early the following morning, which was a Sunday morning. I used to drive this couple to early mass every Sunday morning. This couple had a pub and lived overhead. The Sunday morning arrangement, was that when the owner got up, he would take the locking bolt off the back door. So that when I arrived to take them to mass, I would be able to let myself in. This had been the arrangement for many years. But that particular morning the door was locked, so I had to knock. The owner eventually came, opened the door and let me in. I was no sooner inside when he left out a load of abuse, about the night before.
I was very annoyed, because he was a very heavy drinker himself. I had often helped him out when he had drank a lot. I also learned that he had locked me out, because of what had happened the night before.
He went out to clean up his bar, and I was left in the kitchen on my own.
I looked up and realised I was not alone. There was a picture of the Sacred Heart.
As I looked at the picture, calmness come over me.
I knew the Lord was there with me. Looking at the picture, I prayed. I said that if He got me out of this situation, I would never drink alcohol again!
I made that promise in front of the Sacred Heart.
Not only was there no more about the accident, but I immediately lost my foul tongue. I gave up smoking, and I never took a drink since! That was 1973.
I joined Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International in the late 1970’s. I was a founder member of the Limerick Chapter. I have gone to 31 of the 32 conventions. Above all I found God, and I know that Jesus died for me. He made it so that I could enter the Kingdom Of Heaven.
May God Bless you and that he may do for you, what he did for me!
Your brother in Christ
Sean
