About the Book
By dint of dedication, acumen and hard work, Donal Moran became a success in the world of business, and now standing there reminiscing, acknowledged he was at that moment a man of substance and influence, of wealth and property. When compared to his business achievements, his personal life had been a disaster - one of pain and humiliation. A botched marriage, an alienated son, an attempted blackmail turn his life upside down and lead to insane and stilettoed revenge. Introduction Judge James (Jim) O'Sullivan (now retired), completed a novel when he was a young solicitor; however, he knew nothing about the world of publishing nor did he have any friend who was familiar with the printing of literature, with the exception of his drinking friend, the late great Brendan Behan. Behan answered the call as the young solicitor knew he would, his mother being a Kearney from just outside Portarlington. They agreed to meet at Brendan's uncle's cottage. Lest the young solicitor be short of money, Brendan arrived with a bottle of whiskey and, lest Brendan were short, Jim O'Sullivan brought two bottles of whiskey. It was in the maelstrom age of alcoholic drinking.
They sat before a blazing fire, Behan in the middle, between the uncle and the young solicitor, a bucket of spring water between them and the bottles of whiskey. Each of the three drinkers was supplied with a good-sized jug, in the region of a pint and a half.Filling the jug to about three quarters with whiskey, each would dip the jug into the bucket of water with great care. Jim O'Sullivan gave Behan a loose-leafed book who began to read it aloud. After some considerable time, Behan stopped reading, stood up and took the young solicitor's hand; shaking it, he said, "You've written a best seller." Then he wrote on the first sheet - "I wish I had written this book" - and he dated and signed it. What with the heat of the fire and the whiskey, all three fell asleep and when they woke up, it was discovered that the looseleafed book had slipped off Behan's knee and into the fire whilst he slept and it was burnt to a cinder. One of the young solicitor's greatest talents in life was his capacity to consume intoxicating liquor. On a few occasions, there used be drinking competitions and the young solicitor was so far ahead of the field that he was usually handicapped.
The liquor was always whiskey, except after a certain time on the bar-room clock, the young solicitor would, instead of whiskey, be handicapped insofar as whilst the other competitors got their glasses of whiskey, he would be given a very special concoction, a pint glass half-filled with cheap Spanish brandy and cheaper champagne, roughly half and half, to fill the pint glass, which he would then drink without taking the glass from his lips. Sometime later, he would be further handicapped by drinking a full pint glass of red wine, again without taking the glass from his lips until the glass was empty, and then continue to join the other competitors with equal measures of whiskey. The young solicitor would always be the last man standing. That was more than 40 years ago, and no alcoholic drink of any kind has been tasted by Jim O'Sullivan in over four decades. He was a non-drinker when appointed to the Bench and made up his mind to be the best judge in the land, which is to say after Oliver McGuinness, who was probably the best, and Pat McCarton.
Now a judge, Jim O'Sullivan set up the first successful Alcoholic Rehabilitation Court, outside the United States of America, in the centre of Dublin, with Sister Marie Joseph, Sister Caoimhin and Dr 'Stevo' Stevenson. These two nuns were the most spiritually-minded ladies he had ever come across, never either seeking or allowing publicity for the wonderful work they achieved. Apart from her academic achievements, Sister Caoimhin was at that time an authority in the field of drugs and drug-related literature. The Alcoholic Court, alas, has disappeared and nothing of substance has replaced it, yet alcohol continues to play a major role as a primary cause of prosecuted crime in general and family disputes in particular. On retirement, the once-apprentice solicitor, former young solicitor, sober lawyer and now retired judge then sat down to write The Stiletto.
About the Author :
Alcoholic, judge, author, Jim O'Sullivan has enjoyed his life from the dingiest drinking houses to one of the most respected positions in the land. From his days as a serious drinker to his years on the bench, Jim has met with the good, the bad and the ugly, and made an impact on all of them. At 78 years of age, he is still good company, a superb raconteur of stories, and above all, a great family man.
