“Fergus Hynes has written an evocative memoir of growing up in Ireland in the 1940s and 50s in a small family pub in Dublin. You can almost smell the smoke and taste the Guinness in the bar. It was the beating heart of Irish life at the time, and his account is alive with the characters he saw across the counter. Fergus brings the keenness of observation that Dublin developed in him to England, Canada, the USA, Israel, PNG, and Australia.” BARRY OAKLEY, novelist, playwright and former Literary Editor of The Australian newspaper.
After settling in Australia, Fergus married Alison. They raised a family of four children. Fergus served for sixteen years as an Official Visitor to prisons in Australia.
“If variety is the spice of life Fergus Hynes has savoured it in abundance. His chosen profession empowered him to follow his whims and desires wherever they led. And lead him they did - to positions in cities and places across the globe. No wonder he has an interesting story to tell.” THE HON. BOB ELLICOTT, AC, KC, Australian barrister, politician, and judge.
JACINTA, mother: “I first encountered Fergus when his open letter, offering comfort to a man spending Christmas in a jail cell, was published in a prominent newspaper. Fergus was also serving up a gentle provocation to those of us free to celebrate, a reminder of the pain imposed by a cruel ‘justice’ system. Fergus’ letter pressed upon my heart. I had an 18-year-old spending Christmas in jail.”
In the opening to Half a Loaf and a Thrupenny Bit - Dubliners, Politicians and Prisoners and Everyone In Between, Fergus recounts a conversation in prison:
“What prepared you for ending up in prisons listening to men and women?” asked inmate Bill, as we sat in a drab green coloured wing that looked and smelt like a school gym.
We were oblivious to the noise of the other inmates playing billiards, table tennis, exercising and boxing, while ear splitting what passes-for-music pulsated from radios.
After sixteen years I was relinquishing my role as an Official Visitor to allow me to publicly advocate for the reform of sentencing and imprisonment.
What indeed prepared me?
