Pat O’Mara (1901-1983) Researching Writing Lives

Researching Pat O’Mara’s life has provided me with a new-found love for history and autobiographies. I’ve learned through Pat’s story why memoirs like his are so important as they are a contribution to history and writings like this become important documentations that will always be relevant as they hold such incredible stories of the past. I felt a connection with Pat because of his hometown of Liverpool, so it wasn’t a difficult decision to choose his memoir from the thousands that were available. It was interesting to read about Liverpool during the war and the social and political issues that were happening then had never been something I’d educated myself on previously.

The sinking of the Lusitania ship and the riots that took place in Liverpool has provided me with an insight into the history of Liverpool and I was so intrigued to learn more that I found myself watching documentaries and reading articles to really visualise Pat’s childhood. Pat’s dedication to writing about his life had provided me with a different perspective of Liverpool and it’s something that I will always remember when I’m walking down the streets of Liverpool where Pat once walked. His ability to write with such detail has been an amazing journey for myself as a reader and writings like his have shaped the culture of Liverpool as we know it today.

Writing a blog has been a new but rewarding experience for me and it’s something that I consider valuable, as I believe my time during this module has shown me what really matters in life. But for me, the pleasure of writing about Pat’s life has given me the opportunity to share Pat’s story with others and give this incredible story the recognition it deserves. 

Twitter has been a useful tool when writing my blogs. The importance of having a social media presence has shown me how I can encourage others to read my work through the use of hashtags and retweets and I am confident this has helped with my ability to research as I’ve found direct links to sources to help with my blog. Twitter has connected me with similar accounts who share an interest with autobiographies like Pat’s and it has been an eye-opening experience when collecting images that were used to inform my blog. It has also given me the opportunity to look at other stories that are similar to Pat’s, and given me the motivation and passion to write my blog posts to the best of my ability.

This module has heightened my research skills and given me the opportunity to write in a blog-style format that I had previously never done before. I feel confident in my writing abilities and researching this period of Pat’s life has shown me that in order to give Pat’s memoir justice, I need to delve deeper into the history of his life. By looking at other blog posts that I found through twitter, I was able to find blogs that were relevant during the period of Pat’s life and compare it my own. It has provided me a better understanding of the history of this period and helped me contextualise Pat’s life.

Facebook has been another great tool during my research into Pat’s life. I have joined groups such as Liverpool Genealogy and Liverpool Historical Pictorial Group which have given me a platform to get into contact with relatives of Pat O’Mara but also given me the opportunity for my work to be read by others who are interested. It has shown me the effect blogs like mine can have on people, as they are not only reading about Pat’s past but the roots of Liverpool and why it is important to educate people on historical events that have had an impact on the culture of Liverpool as we know it today. I was able to find out through Liverpool Genealogy that the majority of Pat’s family all stayed close together. This was wonderful news to hear which I found out by somebody who knew Pat’s family.

Ultimately, Pat’s journey has shown me how inspirational he was to the many other working-class people. His story has touched the hearts of many and has given the chance for poverty-born people to tell their story and relate through the hardships Pat experienced growing up . The publications of his books and the many books I’d found referencing Pat only tells me how impactful his writing was during the 20th century. The page dedicated to him in the New York Times is enough evidence to prove that Pat was more than just a writer, he was a role model for his city and I’m honoured I’ve had the pleasure to share his story with you.

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