Everyone has something that makes them interesting, something that allows them to stand out and be different from everyone else. Otherwise, all of humanity would be the same. Everyone has a story to tell, and today we will explore the lore of senior Sean Brennan’s large family and the different positives of growing up in this environment. 

The main factor of intrigue in Sean’s family comes from that fact that he is one of eight children in the Brennan family. Historically, having a large family made sense to most people. More kids meant more hands on the farm, or more to take care of their parents as they grew old. However, in today’s day and age raising a family is very expensive (approximately over $200,000 per child excluding college costs), and thus most parents do not exceed two or three children. This is why Sean’s family is so interesting because a large family is not something that is a common occurrence in the United States. However, growing up with many different siblings is actually a very interesting experience that not many people will ever understand.

As I spoke to Sean, he told me that his seven other siblings (Richie, Kristen, Billy, Mary, Elizabeth, Teresa, and Sarah) range from age thirty to age sixteen, all of them being born in succession about two years apart. Sean himself sits at age eighteen, making him the second youngest of his siblings. This means that when he was born, some of his siblings were already in their teens. Growing up this way is an experience that not many people have, and it leads to an interesting childhood. It is important because it gives another area of maturity to one’s childhood when a person’s siblings are already older and matured. Certainly, Sean must have learned a lot from the experience of his older siblings, and it is this knowledge that most kids lose out on. Large families bring a whole range of perspectives and personalities, perhaps giving a child more experience with different types of people. Most of all, a large family is never boring to grow up in, because something is always going on.

Despite having quite a few older brothers, none of the Brennan boys ever attended Oratory before Sean did. His oldest brother attended St. Peter’s Prep, playing football in a time when their team was spectacular. Sean’s brother even got the opportunity to play at MetLife Stadium. Some of his other siblings attended Summit High School, but none had ever walked the halls of the Ram. This is another factor that comes into play in large families. Every person is unique, everyone follows their own path, and a large pool of children cannot make this any more evident. Almost every child in a large family will be different from another, creating a unique home full of individuals that, while related, are all their own people.

The Brennan family is full of mystery. Families having large amounts of children is not a very common thing anymore. However, I would argue that having a large family brings so many different opportunities for childhood growth that are not present in small ones. It is special, having a place in which one can learn from so many different people, while still being a tight-knit unit, a family who loves one another.

A special thanks to Sean Brennan for all of his help in writing this article!