The ex-partner of Tilda Swinton has revealed that he is the child of an incestuous relationship between his mother and her father – describing his parentage as “traditional”.
Speaking to The Times , John Byrne, 77, told how he found out his unusual paternity after his aunt died in 2002.
The writer, who grew up in Paisley , spent some time hating his grandfather Patrick McShane after discovering the truth, but has since come to terms with his heritage.
(Photo: Paisley Daily Express)
He said: “I think he gave me that wonderful mixture of genes with his own daughter,
“That’s what they do in Ireland.
“It’s traditional, and nobody speaks about it.”
Byrne recalls that his mother regularly walked the eight miles from their home in Ferguslie Park to his grandparent’s house in Cardonald – and with hindsight recognises that she was “utterly and and totally” in love with her own father.
He added: “She just wanted to be in his company. She couldn’t even confess it.
“My own father didn’t know.”
(Photo: Getty images)
His mother died in the 1980s after battling mental illness for most of her life, which Byrne attributes to her incestuous relationship.
The Tutti-Frutti writer, who shares two children with actress Tilda , is no stranger to unconventional relationships – when the couple split up they continued to live together, even after Tilda moved in her new man.