Seamus

My Da was never referred to as Patrick because all the men in the family could claim that name as their own as well. Patrick was the family saint and the Corrigans were Irish Catholics. His brothers, sisters and sisters in law called him Seamus. Aunt Lucy, the Mrs Corrigan, being married to the eldest brother, called him James, which sounded like an admonishment. Everyone else called him Jim or Jimmy, even the Bradford police. He was Big Jim or Big Jimmy, although in stature he was not much bigger than my brother or I are now. However he was a man who talked with both fists to make his points. Big Jim was a mark of respect from those who had felt those points being made on them. Jimmy was the epithet of those who wanted the fists behind them or who had reason to call Da a friend.

This was first published in March 2008 but goes some way to starting a series of posts about my Dad.