Northside Christmas fairytale

A NORTHSIDE senior citizen gave himself a wonderful gift for Christmas after spending months learning a skill that most of us take for granted.

Joe McGarvey has had a tough life and gets support from his local SVP club on Mountjoy Square in the north inner city. But his simple purchase of a book earlier this month was an incredible and very emotional milestone for him.

The 66-year-old has been attending the men’s club at St Vincent de Paul’s Resource Centre for more than a decade but it’s only in recent months that he took the brave and liberating decision to learn to read.

And when he spotted ‘The Complete Fairy Tales & Stories of Hans Christian Andersen’ in the window of his local bookshop, he was determined to make it his first book.

However, frustratingly, he had to bide his time before he could buy the book because he didn’t have enough money for it.

“It had been in the shop window for two days,” he recalls. “I kept saying to myself, ‘I’ll get it on Friday’. I get my pension on Fridays, and so I was praying to God it wouldn’t be gone.”

Luck was on Joe’s side, though, and when Friday finally arrived, he excitedly made his way to the shop and became the proud owner of this magical and iconic collection of stories.

Joe describes learning to read over the last few months as a life-changing experience and he’s grateful for the support he’s had from the Northside SVP club.

“When I first came here, I couldn’t read or write,” he explains. “My reading is going very well. I’m doing it slowly. I haven’t tried too much writing yet, though I can write my name.”

It’s fitting that Joe’s first book is by Hans Christian Andersen, the iconic Danish author who penned a whole host of atmospheric and often quite dark fairytales, many of which see their main protagonist learn a powerful lesson in the face of great adversity.

‘The Little Mermaid’, ‘The Ugly Duckling’ and ‘The Snow Queen’ (on which ‘Frozen’ is based) are just some of these stories where, ultimately, a magical transformation takes place in the hero’s arduous journey.

Indeed, Joe’s life has had echoes of these fairytales; full of challenges and hardship, but ultimately hope and redemption.

His early years were heartbreakingly difficult and having experienced abuse at the hands of those who should have offered care and support, young Joe’s education was cut short.

At a loose end in the tough inner city and in need of money, an exciting opportunity for adventure presented itself. Joe, an animal lover who today dotes on his three small dogs, literally ran away with the circus!

It’s a time he remembers fondly.

“I was with them for 17 or 18 years,” he says. “I loved it. I looked after the animals – horses, bears, tigers, lions, llamas, Shetland ponies – you name it!”

Sadly, Joe’s illiteracy became an issue whenever the circus toured overseas.

“I would only go around Ireland with them,” he sighs. “I couldn’t leave the country. I’d have loved to, but I would have been stranded.

“I couldn’t read or write, so I wouldn’t know any directions; I’d get lost. I needed to be in Ireland – otherwise I would have travelled years ago.”

Gradually, Joe’s beloved animals were phased out of circus life and with that change he bowed out himself.

Alone again in the city, he decided to head to a men’s club on Sherrard Street for company, support and friendship. From there, he joined his current SVP club on Mountjoy Square.

“I was rough and ready back then, always on edge,” he remembers.

“The club is important because it teaches us how to socialise and be kind and gentle towards each other. It helps us make friends and communicate properly.”

Crucially, and typical of the SVP ethos, there’s no judgment, and men from all walks of life and social backgrounds are made to feel welcome at the club. They meet three times a week to chat, play pool, learn new skills like reading and computers, and go on various outings together.

“We don’t judge anybody,” adds Joe, who’s proud to say he’s the longest attending member.

 “And what happens in the club stays in the club – it doesn’t go outside onto the streets.”

Joe was looking forward to this Christmas, as the men in the club – some of whom sadly have no place else to go – enjoyed a special festive get-together in a Dublin restaurant.

What’s more, he was planning to bring his new book in to show his friends.

“Next Tuesday I’ll bring it to the club and try to read some of it to the lads,” he smiles proudly. “Without them, I think I’d be lost.”