This is a picture of the author's coming of age in Northern Ireland. It bears witness to the influence of his father, a policeman with the RUC, and to the integrity of Donoghue's faith - both political and religious - in a country then rarely troubled by sectarian violence. Later, Warrenpoint became notorious as the place where 19 British soldiers died, but in the 1930s it was a favoured resort, offering parades, circuses and celebrations. There Donoghue developed his passion for music and literature.