The work in the home was all done by women.
Traditionally the man did the stuff outside. So manliness for me was 90per cent of the time about manual labour – mucky hands, walking around in your socks, working hard.
All my uncles were turf cutters or mechanics or in construction, some sort of manual labour. We all lived in the same house and all our aunties and uncles were local. I grew up with two sisters, four brothers, my mother, my father and my grandfather. If you would like to add your voice to this series, email did being a man look like to you growing up? How to be a Man is a series exploring masculinity and the challenges facing men in Ireland today.
