Early Life
Geldof was born and raised in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland, the son of Evelyn and Robert (known as Rob) Geldof, and attended Blackrock College. His paternal grandfather was a Belgian immigrant, Zenon (sometimes mistakenly spelt Lenon) Geldof (1882-1939), who was a hotel chef, and his paternal grandmother, Amelia "Minnie" Falk, was a Jewish English woman (born 1873 in London). Zenon Geldof and Amelia Falk were married in 1906 in Westminster and had four children: Herbert (Sonny), Robert, Cleo Zenobie Geldof (born 1906 in Grantham), and May Geldof (born 1909 in Dublin).
At the age of 41, Geldof's mother complained of a headache and died shortly thereafter, having suffered a haemorrhage. Geldof attended Blackrock College in Dublin, whose Catholic ethos he disliked. He was bullied for his lack of rugby prowess and over his third forename, Zenon. After work as a slaughter man, road navvy and pea canner in Wisbech, he started as a music journalist in Vancouver, Canada, for the weekly publication Georgia Straight.
Read more about this topic: Bob Geldof
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“... business training in early life should not be regarded solely as insurance against destitution in the case of an emergency. For from business experience women can gain, too, knowledge of the world and of human beings, which should be of immeasurable value to their marriage careers. Self-discipline, co-operation, adaptability, efficiency, economic management,—if she learns these in her business life she is liable for many less heartbreaks and disappointments in her married life.”
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