Gabriel Duffy
Encyclopedia
Gabriel Patrick Duffy was an author and philosopher born in Dublin, Ireland, and is best known for his autobiography
, Sham to Rock. Duffy emigrated to London
in 1963, where he worked as an accountant. He then worked in recruitment, subsequently establishing and building up Gabriel Duffy, which in the 1980s became a well known and successful financial recruitment consultancy. When, as a result of the recession
in the early 1990s, the business hit difficulties, he turned full time to his great love, writing.. He has two daughters and was friendly with the novelist Colin Wilson
. Duffy died of peritonitis
in his Brighton
flat in early December, 2008.
society. The title symbolises the movement from the sham hypocrisy of the immediate post-war years to a more open and cosmopolitan approach to life: rock. The book was well-received in the media, with the Sunday Independent
describing it as "lively and evocative, as well as beautifully and economically written" while The Irish World stated that "his observations [...] will keep you riveted right through to the very last page". However, the sales of Sham to Rock were lower than expected and, given this, there were no further editions. A sequel to Sham to Rock has been drafted, but not yet published.
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, Sham to Rock. Duffy emigrated to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1963, where he worked as an accountant. He then worked in recruitment, subsequently establishing and building up Gabriel Duffy, which in the 1980s became a well known and successful financial recruitment consultancy. When, as a result of the recession
Recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way...
in the early 1990s, the business hit difficulties, he turned full time to his great love, writing.. He has two daughters and was friendly with the novelist Colin Wilson
Colin Wilson
Colin Henry Wilson is a prolific English writer who first came to prominence as a philosopher and novelist. Wilson has since written widely on true crime, mysticism and other topics. He prefers calling his philosophy new existentialism or phenomenological existentialism.- Early biography:Born and...
. Duffy died of peritonitis
Peritonitis
Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum, the serous membrane that lines part of the abdominal cavity and viscera. Peritonitis may be localised or generalised, and may result from infection or from a non-infectious process.-Abdominal pain and tenderness:The main manifestations of...
in his Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
flat in early December, 2008.
Sham to Rock "Growing Up in Forties and Fifties Dublin"
Sham to Rock was first published in 2003 by Aengus books. It is an autobiographical account of the first 17 years of Duffy's life, and focuses on his physical, mental and social maturation in a CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
society. The title symbolises the movement from the sham hypocrisy of the immediate post-war years to a more open and cosmopolitan approach to life: rock. The book was well-received in the media, with the Sunday Independent
Sunday Independent
The Sunday Independent is a broadsheet Sunday newspaper published in Ireland by Independent News and Media plc. The newspaper is edited by Aengus Fanning, and is the biggest selling Irish Sunday newspaper by a large margin ; average circulation of 291,323 between June 2004 and January 2005,...
describing it as "lively and evocative, as well as beautifully and economically written" while The Irish World stated that "his observations [...] will keep you riveted right through to the very last page". However, the sales of Sham to Rock were lower than expected and, given this, there were no further editions. A sequel to Sham to Rock has been drafted, but not yet published.