Suzanne Harrington: My dad just died. He taught me about unconditional love, kindness, and acceptance

A staunch pro-lifer, my dad and I were diametrically opposed on so many things but the love never wavered 

Pic: Denis Scannell

My dad just died. He was never one for making a fuss — he was from that generation, the ones who would rather chew their own arm off than draw attention to themselves. Self-effacing, unable to comprehend the digital narcissism of contemporary life; put it this way — he was not on Instagram. A few years back, when I vaguely mentioned his 80th on this page, resulting in a few old friends phoning him to wish him a happy birthday, he was morto.

But as it’s unlikely there are newspapers in the afterlife — not even digital versions — I doubt he’ll be reading this. In terms of an actual afterlife, well, my fingers are crossed for him because — unlike me — he genuinely believed in its existence. I hope, as we speak, he is settling in.