That Could Never be : A Memoir Kevin Dalton

This is a remarkable story of the victory of spirit over adversity. Kevin Dalton spent his life from 1934 when he was two until he was sixteen in orphanages. From an early age he wanted to be ordained and this is the story of how this ambition waxed and waned through all the vicissitudes of early disadvantage. He arrived in Dublin aged 18 with only a primary education and without a job. ‘This was 1951 when there were few jobs to be had. Unemployment was endemic and thousands of people were emigrating to find work … I pounded the footpaths of Dublin calling to shops and businesses looking for work … I hid my torn trousers and my scruffy clothes with a long overcoat. After two months of no success I was demoralized to the point that I considered going to England.’ He eventually got work and qualified as a miller, but still had to confront his lifelong ambition to be ordained. While working during the day he set about studying for the Trinity College entrance exam. After much effort, he eventually passed, and entered Trinity in 1961. In 1966 he was ordained in the Church of Ireland, and spent a year of post-graduate study in America. His ministry has been spent in parishes in Dublin. This is a memoir that oscillates between pathos and humor. Above all, this is a memoir of determination to survive and to achieve an ambition against the odds. Kevin Dalton is currently rector of Monkstown, Co Dublin.
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