There is a scene in the play I Am Tonie Walsh where Tonie reads a list of names of guys who died due to HIV infection. I knew every single one of them, and have really fond memories of dancing in their company at Flikkers - the nightclub at what was then The Hirschfeld Centre in the ‘80s.
So it is with gratitude that I approach this significant age; I am already older than my dad was when he died and I certainly hope to live into my 80’s and beyond as this is one of the marvellous things that is happening in Ireland and other countries in the West; we have increased our life expectancy enormously in the last few decades.