This story is from Marie Cullen.

I don't know how I got the job, but out of nine children, I got the task of choosing our father's final outfit, the clothes he would wear for all eternity, the clothes he would be buried in.

Now, Dad didn't have much in the wardrobe department, but I did my best, and I decided on a dark gray blazer, a slightly lighter shade of gray trousers, a navy and white check shirt, a plain navy tie, shoes and socks, and underpants.

I wasn't sure about the undies.

[laughs]

According to Dad, he could dance like Fred Astaire and take a football mark like Gazali.

He wanted to be an artist, but the Second World War had robbed him of that dream and he had to settle on being a farmer.

He once said to me that his life was one of circumstance rather than choice.