I still remember the shock that reverberated throughout his family, and the enormous grief on losing someone who was a hero to his many young grandchildren, nieces and nephews. A hero? - perhaps. An extraordinary man? - most certainly. His death was covered in the Irish newspapers and as a result my schoolteacher made all the children in my class stand for a minute's silence, in honour of a 1916 Fighter. I was 12! you can imagine how proud I was! I see today the same interest and pride in him, primarily as a 1916 Volunteer and Irish freedom fighter, from my children, nieces, and nephews, and as a direct result I decided to put together a book (upon which this website is based) hopefully to keep some of the important details recorded and available. Paddy Joe, as he was known to his Family and friends, was in every sense of the words An Extraordinary Man. He lived a very full and interesting life, the details of which should not be lost in the mists of time, to either today’s generation of his family, or to those generations to come.