Tony Doherty’s This Man’s Wee Boy, an acclaimed memoir of growing up in the Brandywell area of Derry in the 1960s and 70s will receive its Donegal launch in The Exchange, Castle Avenue, Buncrana on October 7th at 7pm.
This Man’s Wee Boy is a uniquely-crafted memoir of the author’s early childhood (1967–1972), the third oldest in a working-class Catholic family from the Brandywell in Derry.
Written with the authentic voice of a child, this snapshot of his young life unfolds in a series of stories evoking the innocence of childhood, family dynamic and tensions, street friendships and characters, the onset of civil strife, and a family protecting itself from conflict, with CS gas coming in through the door and tracer bullets flying past the windows..
Described as ‘a treasure’, it draws the reader into a child’s world, his innocent view of the harsh reality of life and the horrifying events unfolding around him.
It has bags of humour and paints a picture of a lost world of children running wild in play, unsupervised by or worried over by adults. The book is also very moving, to the point of provoking tears at the end.
About the author
Tony Doherty
Tony Doherty was instrumental in setting up the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign in 1992, which led in 2010 to the exoneration of his father and the others killed and wounded on Bloody Sunday, and to a public apology from the British Prime Minister in the House of Commons. He has worked extensively in community regeneration in Derry, is a member of the Big Lottery Fund’s NI Committee and is currently Regional Coordinator for Northern Ireland’s Healthy Living Centre Alliance.
What has been said about the book:
‘It’s a wonderful memoir. So simple, so truthful and, at the end, so profoundly moving.’ – Jimmy McGovern, screenwriter
“An emotive memoir of childhood and a valuable social history of Derry.” – Freya McClements, Irish Times
‘An inspirational memoir. The voice of innocence never slips. I was in awe!’ – Sue Leonard, Irish Examiner
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