Pat, who would see himself as very much part of the "punk rock era" , notably as a poet, a short writer and a journalist."A Boy’s Head" by the Czechoslovakian writer Miroslaw Holub, was to be the budding inspiration for this young poet.

Among his achievements are :

1987: Won third place in the R.T.E. Francis McManus short story competitions for his short story , "And the street Went Blind".

1988: won the B.B.C. young playwright Award for his depiction of a young man coping with his father’s death in the play "Not Dead But lifeless".

1989: Won the Patrick Kavanagh award for the best selection of unpublished poetry.

1990: Published his anthology of poetry entitled "The Unwound clock". In October of that year another collection of his poetry was published, "History and Promise, Poems from Laois".

His work is also featured in the Edible House" Anthology of short Stories published in January 1989 and "Twelve Bar Blues Raven Introductions Six" published in April 1990. Later his writings were to appear in the "Blackstaff Anthology of younger Irish Poets".