Irish Hope

During the Irish Potato famine of the mid 1800's the Bannon family was living on the very edge of starvation like so many in Ireland at that dreadful time. The Bannon family was large with a newborn baby and not enough food to feed everyone. Each day was an impossible struggle for the father until Patrick was old enough to help. Patrick was the oldest child and since age twelve, he had been going out to work on farms or into town to do whatever he could to earn a penny or in some way, get a little food to bring home. At age fourteen he was supporting the family with his long hours, endurance and wit. His father did his best, but Patrick seemed always to be able to do a little better. The experience Pat gained through these young years made him not only a great provider, but also he became a blacksmith and a locksmith. He was able to out do anyone in the area in at least these two fields. His love for horse and his devotion to his family provided him all the incentive he needed to earn a lot of back pats of well done. His honest to goodness ship did come in one day when he made friends with Captain DuBois, an international cargo hauler in an old rundown, leaky ship called the Sea Otter. Pat had recently turned fifteen, but the captain took him into his crew as a cooks helper with a promise to bring him home before a year was up, with a pocket full of money. He will be gone almost three years and his adventures are greater than he ever imagined. He will learn many new things, meet a lot of interesting people and eventually, becomes part owner in a ship of his own.