In 1961, Joe Behan was born in Dublin, in a small fishing port called Holler Street. His parents are from Ringsend. His father John worked for the Irish Glass Company, while his mother worked in the clothing industry. Growing up, soccer was definitely a big part of the family; his father had played professional soccer and his uncle went on to play one game for the infamous club of Manchester United. Joe was one of nine children. Being the middle child of four brothers and four sisters raised in a vey religious family, Joe attended mass at St Patrick Church in Ringsend every Sunday. Joe attended catholic school at St. Mary’s, and continued his education at CBS (Christian Brothers School).
Joe started working when he was young. Because Joe enjoyed being abel to go to the town center and buy his own clothes, at the age of twelve he had already been working at a local bakery. While managing a job and school, Joe also played soccer nonstop. At the age of ten, he had already started to compete for a local club team. Playing high-level soccer at a young age must of put stress on his body. Joe was sidelined with athlete’s foot, which turned him to play more on the streets and less organized soccer. Soccer served as Joe’s bridge between the different neighborhoods and a guiding path to his future.
The neighborhood Joe grew up in was a very close community. People in the community taught Joe how to live. Everyone was like family; people all had their doors open and the atmosphere was very friendly. Growing up in that neighborhood helped Joe because many of his peers shaped to become his role models. They taught him to be street smart and not to mess around with the rival villages, helped him with his problems and served to connect Joe with everyone else in the neighborhood.
In 1979, Joe found his first serious job as an electrician. He worked in the construction industry but soon found out that this would not be his trade. It was just