The Incredible Journey - Patrick Joseph O'Flaherty

My first book ARAN's Irish Heritage at the crossroads was mainly about the people connected to Aran. This book spans from the time I was four years old to the present. I always said that if I reached seventy years of age, I would have a party because I consider it a massive achievement for someone like me who was a high-risk taker from a young age.I have no right to expect that anyone will be interested in a book about my incredible journey. I do, however, believe that more Aran people should record the history of their successful achievements on the local, national and international stage. The brief story of Michael Flaherty who died recently in my first book was a powerful pointer that Aran people can and are thriving on the world stage.Just because you are a child born of parents who are working class on the Aran Islands is no reason you cannot think of yourself as a child rich in potential, reliable, robust and competent. Malaguzzi 1993 wrote a poem "The 100 Languages of Children in which he acknowledged the 'infinite ways that children can express, explore, and connect their thoughts, feelings and imaginings'. "Success against the odds"