This is the almost true story of an ordinary Irish lass by the name of Tessie Cleary and her family. Almost true as except for the Cleary clan and their extended family, most of the other names in the tale are fictional. This also applies to many of the events in Tessie's and her family's lives which are based on rather sketchy references passed down through the generations by family members and others. The essence of the action is based on actual occurrences in the Cleary household to which I have applied a modicum of dramatic licence and although events and dialogue may not have happened exactly as recorded in this book, on the other hand who is there to say that they may not be that far removed from the truth? So, was Tessie Cleary just an ordinary Irish lass then? Oh no! She was much more than that. In fact, she was someone rather special - She was my Ma!