About

Download the book of this blog.

My father, Prof Tom Raftery, was born on a small farm, in the West of Ireland in 1933.

He was one of ten siblings, but despite growing up in an extremely modest environment, he went on to have a very successful career.

During the course of his career, he was the youngest appointed full professor in the National University of Ireland (being appointed Professor and Head of the Department of Agriculture in UCC in 1964 at the age of 31), he was subsequently appointed as vice-president of UCC.

Dad was involved in the purchase of Lyons Estate for UCD, and Fota Island for UCC. He was responsible for the restoration of Fota House and its world-famous arboretum, and for opening them to the public.

It was his idea, and his drive which saw the Wildlife Park established in Fota Island, in Cork in 1983 – now one of Ireland’s most popular tourist destinations, and a very important centre for the breeding of endangered species.

In 1984 he switched career and became a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) rep- resenting Munster for Fine Gael.

He retired from academic and political life in 1998.

And all the while my mother, Bredhe Raftery, was by his side, helping and encouraging his every success.

In mid-2008, a little over a year after my mother died, my father took a notion to put pen to paper and write down his memoirs. It was to be prescient because not long after he finished writing them, he was diagnosed with an illness which would have made it impossible for him to compile them.

I’ve decided to publish them here in blog form to document his many achievements.

And in 2013, in celebration of his 80th birthday, I compiled them into this Book, as a present from my sister Mary and I.