Broadcaster Sharon Tobin has opened up about the heartbreaking loss of her father when she was just four-years-old.
Her dad Tommy died suddenly in the ’80s, following a car accident. While on his way home from work, he was hit by a drunk driver and passed away very shortly afterwards, leaving his very young family bereft.
“[My mum] was 26 when she was widowed. My sister Laura was one and I was four. It was the 1980’s, a tough time,” she said.
“I wonder how she managed. But, as mam puts it, there was no other choice.”
As Sharon and his sister were just children when he passed, she reveals her family regularly share heartwarming stories to keep his memory alive.
“It was a really big deal when you are younger because you feel different to other people, but as you get older, the memories fade,” she told the RTE Guide.
“Dad was originally from Tipperary, left home when he was young. His own family would tell us how proud he would have been of Laura and me. Mam would say how he only ever wanted the best for us.”
Sharon now has two children of her own, and loves when they get involved in conversations about her dad.
“My mam would often tell them about him and when they talk about dad, it makes us smile,” she said.