I was born in Port Headland, in western Australia, a tiny little town that most people have never heard of. My mum and dad had decided to get out of Belfast in the mid-1970s, particularly after Bloody Friday, so they were giving Australia a go. About six months after I was born, my mum was showing the first signs of what was later diagnosed as multiple sclerosis, so they moved back to Northern Ireland.
My mum and dad did a great job of trying to shield us from the worst of what was happening [in 1970s and 1980s Belfast]. My memories are of playing football on the streets, digging holes, climbing trees and doing a lot of drawing. I grew up with three brothers. It was a case of: go out and play until the street lights come on. We always knew where we could go, and where we should never ever go.
Samuel Johnson said patriotism is the
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