Author: Lynn Ruane
Genre: Adult Non-Fiction
Reviewed by: Orla
Lynn Ruane has no airs or graces about her. She has her feet firmly on the ground. However, this has not always been the case. Lynn has had many turbulent times in the past. Her loving mother and gentle father could not shelter her from the environment outside her doorstep. She was showered with love but soon became rebellious as a teenager.
She lived up to every parent’s nightmare taking drugs and falling pregnant at a very young age. Joyriding and causing havoc was more appealing than following the protocol of what was expected of her. She roamed the streets of Dublin inner city up for devilment and hijinks. She grew up in a disadvantaged area that was rampant with drugs and delinquent behaviour.
Many who fell into this vicious cycle were incapable of untangling themselves. Getting up to all sorts to do whatever they needed to feed their habit. It didn’t take Lynn long before she was summoned to court. She got off lightly but felt so ashamed to have her Dad humiliated only to be told by the judge it was his fault she turned out the way she did.
Lynn sobered up quickly when she became pregnant and surprised most by returning to school determined to have a purpose in life. Not everyone was encouraging but she persisted against the odds. The road was not always easy abut she never gave up. With a second child in tow this did not stop her excelling educationally.
She went on to study in Trinity and become the President of the Student Union and a Senator in the Dail. She didn’t have all the answers. She was not politically savvy but she studied hard and asked other political students to bring her up to speed. She is the ultimate role model to children and teenagers that are told there are nobodies and are heading nowhere. Lynn Ruane is a modern-day heroine who continues to go from strength to strength.
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