'The move to retirement was an easy one for me'

'The move to retirement was an easy one for me'

Frank remembers retiring.

Frank Gaynor

Trinity College Dublin

2007

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Frank Gaynor

Retirement

Life Story

Dublin, Ireland

2000's

The move to retirement was an easy one for me. I did not have to cope with the shock of breaking away from an employer or a job after 30 or 40 years of unbroken service. When retirement came, even if its arrival was slightly unexpected, I was down to working two days a week, and well into retirement mode. I did not have to start developing hobbies. My golf was still going well, and my interest in GAA was stronger than ever. I was living close to a good bus service and train station, and less than a 30 - minute walk from Dublin city centre, and I had my Free Travel Pass. All I had to do was get out and make it work. The disadvantage of not being able to drive a car has arisen only in relation to getting me and my golf equipment to a golf course. Even this inconvenience has been slight as Monica has continued to play golf and, when available, has been as keen to get on a golf course as I have been. I have continued to play with NUI Maynooth Golf Society, and DFA Golf Society, and in this way I have maintained links with some established friends. The combined outings of these two societies have given me the opportunity to play on many top class courses in Dublin, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow. I have discovered that many of the courses in north Kildare have the River Liffey flowing through them or past them, and I'm embarrassed when I think of the number of golf balls that I have laid to rest in that same river. Because Clonkill hurlers have enjoyed considerable success in recent years I have been a frequent traveller on the train to Mullingar. At Clonkill matches I regularly meet with Paddy and other colleagues from the 1960s. While our shapes and appearances have changed somewhat we continue to enjoy being together celebrating success or drowning the sorrows of defeat. I also take good advantage of the fact that I am only a 15 - minute walk from Croke Park.Being close to Dublin city centre means that there is a wide range of events within easy reach throughout the year. I try to sample a varied selection of what is on offer. While new plays are frequently disappointing it is interesting to see how stage management has changed since the days when I was hitting the boards in Mulanje Club. To help keep my brain cells oiled I have kept up my membership of the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), where I enjoy attending presentations by national and international thought leaders, politicians and policymakers. On the volunteering side I have been helping recently arrived immigrants, mostly from Eastern Europe, to learn English. This work has been both interesting and enjoyable.Above all I am blessed with the great companionship that I share with my siblings and with my family. The Clondaliever Gaynors have been fortunate in being able to maintain close friendly relationships over the years. Thanks to emailing and text messaging we are now able to communicate more frequently than ever. My sister Nancy has lived alone in Dublin for many years. I am delighted that I now have the time to offer her support on a regular basis. As for Monica and our four children, I am very proud of each of them. They shower me with support. It gives me great satisfaction to see how close they are, and how they support each other. The many moves we made from country to country and house to house during their school years don't seem to have left any unwelcome scars. It was risky but it worked.As I look back, the changes in two generations are probably most striking in education and travel. While my father was happy to settle for less than four years of formal schooling, and seldom moved outside County Westmeath, each of our children ended up with two university degrees and the annual Christmas letters have been a litany of constant movement across the continents. I feel that I have been dealt a lucky hand, and that life has been good to me. I only wish that everyone else could say the same.

00:05:09

Irish Research Council for Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS)

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)