An ex-garda has become an online hit for blogging about his job as a stay-at-home dad.
Shane McDermott, from Letterkenny, Co Donegal, says he's doing the "most rewarding job in the world".
But he admits he's often ashamed when people ask him if he's working.
The 36-year-old, who has also retrained as a mental health nurse, believes more men should be proud of caring for their children full-time.
He said: "I’m ashamed to say when people ask me if I’m working, I’ll tell them that I’m a qualified nurse and that I’m doing some part-time work when really I should just own it.
"You should be proud of this job because it’s the best job in the world. I’d encourage more people to discuss it.
"There is still a stigma attached to it. But really, the biggest thing stopping anyone is themselves."
Shane and his wife Donna moved to Donegal in 2013 after he inherited a home.
And after after their daughter Sally was born in October of 2017, and Donna started back working with Citizens Information, Shane decided to be a stay-at-home parent.
Shane spoke of how he sadly lost his mother in his teenage years, but that stepping into a father role at the time has helped in looking after Sally.
He told the Irish Sun: “My mum died when I was 13 and I kind of stepped into that father role a bit for my siblings who were three and four at the time.
“I think that experience with my brother and sister helped me a lot.
“But there’s still a lot of suspicion around a man being a full-time carer.
"A lot of former colleagues or employers will make jokes like ‘Oh are you still doing daddy day care?’ It’s ridiculous really.
"Some 98 per cent of full-time carers were women according to a recent survey, it’s incredible when you think about it.”
His popular blog Dairy Allergy Dad has helped him garner more than 10,000 Instagram followers.
Shane began blogging after his daughter was diagnosed with a severe allergy to milk proteins and eggs as a baby.
The diagnosis sparked his whole family to turn vegan - and now he shares his vegan tips for other parents.
He said: “After Sally’s diagnosis, our whole house turned vegan.
"I started blogging mainly for the allergy community but that grew to the vegan market and now a lot of fathers more recently.”
His Instagram account can be followed here .
