It is my absolute pleasure to write a few lines for my good friend Angela Sweeney from Passage West. As someone who grew up in Passage West, I knew Angela from when I was very young, but I never knew her backstory and certainly didn’t realise how much of a remarkable person she is. Angela is simply an inspiration. She is someone who has overcome significant adversity in her life to achieve some amazing accomplishments. Her ‘never give up’ attitude is an example to us all.
Having spent many years of her childhood in hospital, she missed out on her formal education. As a busy mother to her young family, she enrolled on an adult literacy course so that she could help her children with their homework. Angela was never going to stop at that and went on to study at University College Cork.
For Angela then to go on a publish six books is nothing short of extraordinary. As a local representative, I am particularly delighted that she has published her trilogy on the history of the lower harbour which is a unique compilation of work. I am thrilled that Angela is now making her work accessible to everyone on the website. We all owe Angela a huge debt of gratitude for making her outstanding work available to everyone, now and into the future. I have no doubt that people all over the world will get countless hours of enjoyment from Angela’s work.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish Angela, her husband Paddy, and all her family all the best for the future.
Angela, a heartfelt thank you from all of those who have got tremendous enjoyment from your writing.
Michael McGrath T.D.
Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform