Sallyanne Clarke

THE Daily Mail columnist and restaurateur is married to chef Derry. She says:

‘MY dad Desmond Parker is dead 22 years now — he died of meningitis at Christmas time, 1995. There was a meningitis outbreak that year and 28 people died. He was this larger-than-life figure who was great fun and full of divilment.

When my mum met him he was a farmer. She met him at Leinster Cricket Club and he asked her out on a date. I was the firstborn and people of that older generation will still say to me, “You’re Dessie Parker’s daughter, anyway!” because apparently I look so like my father. We lived in Crumlin and he knew everybody.

I’d say to him that I wish he’d been around to see the kids grow up. Sarah May was only five when he died and Andrew was born six weeks after he died. I often wonder

if Dad was still alive, would Andrew still be around? [Andrew died tragically in December 2012, aged 16.] Andrew was very like him — my dad was always full of fun and had a twinkle in his eye. He was a huge personality and he was a big man. Sarah May was his first grandchild and he got a great kick out of her, he loved kids.

Mum will tell you there was never a dull moment with him. He was a workaholic, loved a glass of whiskey, loved his pints but the shop was always open at 8am. He had the farming background which meant he was up early and had a great work ethic.

Dad was a great man for advice, he and my mum did push us all and told us if we wanted to do something, we had to go and make it happen, it wasn’t going to land in our laps. They had a very good marriage, it was very much a partnership.’