'As a writer, Ronnie had a real 'voice'. He conjures up indelible, nostalgic but unsentimental images' Irish Independent
Though he was a gifted storyteller, it was only in 2006 that the legendary Ronnie Drew agreed to write his own story. The early chapters - about growing up in Dun Laoghaire, about his youthful search for a meaningful path in life, and a hair-raising account of a typical escapde with the Dubliners - were warm, witty and insightful and made it clear that Ronnie Drew was a wonderful writer as well as a great singer and raconteur.
Six months into the project, Ronnie was diagnosed with cancer and sadly, much as he wanted to, he did not get to finish his story. However, with the whole-hearted co-operation of his daughter and son, Cliodhna and Phelim, it has been possible to put together Ronnie's work on his memoir along with his other writings, interviews with Cliodhna and Phelim, a wealth of photographs and other material from the family archive, and contributions from close friends, to create a book that is a wonderful portrait of, and a fitting and loving tribute to, the man Bono called 'the king of Ireland'.
'To his children, Phelim and Cliodhan, I can say, you've done the Old Man proud with this one' Irish Mail on Sunday
'Salty and droll … unflinchingly candid … an honest and unambiguous portrait of the sort of man you don't meet every day' Sunday Business Post
'The Drew who emerges is one who abhorred sentimentality and pretentiousness and lived for the moment' Irish Examiner
'A fascinating and heartwarming memoir . . . joy and a delight' Books Monthly
'A man who was self-aware, cosmopolitan, and a lot more important to the cultural life of this island than he gave himself credit for' Sunday Tribune
