The Daily Star Ireland
John Goodman is keen to clarify that he is not related to the influential beef magnate Larry Goodman from Dundalk, nor is he the American comedic actor known for the 1990s sitcom Roseanne. John proudly states that he is a native of Wicklow town with no ties to the meat industry.
Despite his surname being uncommon, it has a long history in Ireland. John explains that about 500 years ago, his ancestors owned significant property in Loughlinstown, which would now be extremely valuable. They were also instrumental in building the Roman Catholic church in the upscale Dublin suburb of Killiney. However, as his family remained devout in their religious beliefs, they did not enjoy the benefits of being wealthy landowners in more recent generations.
John, 55, is the son of the late John Goodman and Evelyn Goodman (née Dover). He works as an IT professional for the ESB, ensuring the stability of the country’s power supply by examining the IT systems used by the power company. Outside of his modern-day job, he is a passionate local historian with a particular interest in military history, a fascination that began at an early age.
This interest can be traced back to his grandfather, who served in both the Royal Navy and the Irish Army, along with other relatives who joined the Irish defense forces. Further back, his family has multiple connections to World War I.
John attended De La Salle school before studying computer science at DIT in Rathmines, a pragmatic choice given his circumstances. He admits he would have preferred to study history, but the school schedule forced him to choose between French and history in his fifth year, and he opted for the modern language. Family circumstances around the time of his Leaving Certificate in 1985 also played a role in this decision. John Goodman senior had been employed at the Veha factory, which was embroiled in a nine-month strike that ended with the plant’s closure. With minimal strike pay, family finances were strained. The DIT computer course, funded by EU money, offered a student grant, making it an obvious choice. Besides, computers were an exciting field with the promise of well-paid jobs.
After graduating, John initially worked for the Irish Dairy Board but soon left to backpack around the Middle East. This adventure was followed by a stint in America with a US aerospace company, where he worked in offices in New York and Arizona. The company developed guidance systems for Patriot missiles, and the American authorities were vigilant about protecting their software from espionage. John humorously recalls that when he worked late, security personnel would accompany him to the bathroom to ensure he wasn’t engaging in any espionage.
While in the US, John met his future wife, Joanne, who is from Sligo and was working in Phoenix, Arizona at the time. They eventually returned to Ireland, where John developed a serious interest in genealogy and local history, focusing on soldiers, sailors, and airmen. He recently gave a lecture on people from Wicklow who participated in World War II and is eager to share his knowledge of those from the previous generation who served in World War I.
John’s passion for history was partly inspired by family memorabilia. His mother’s grand-uncle, Sam Evans from Monckton Row, died in World War I, leaving behind a death plaque and his British Army cap badge. These artifacts fascinated John, who spent much of his youth in the public library reading about the world wars. As an adult, he began genealogical research, uncovering a significant number of military men in his family tree.
John discovered that he had five relatives who fought in World War I, four of whom died in the conflict. His namesake, John Goodman, died at the Somme, along with John Dover and Harry Yeats, who perished at Arras. Sam’s brother, John Evans, was the sole survivor among them. Through researching these brief lives, John became skilled at navigating historical archives, enjoying visits to London to explore records at Kew. Although much of the material is now digitized, he still finds the original documents captivating.
