In the words of Frenchy from Grease, “The only man a girl can depend on is her daddy”. While some great loves might come and go, we’ll always have a soft spot for the man who knows how to make a killer fry-up and insists on telling those God-awful Dad jokes. We indulge with the fake laugh punchline out of pure love. So it really wasn’t much of a shock to hear that those daddy-daughter bonding days have paid off in more ways than you probably realise. Research has proven that girls with close father-daughter relationships are more likely to have self-confidence and assertiveness, do better in school, and have greater career advancement ‘amongst other positive outcomes’. The study, conducted by Robyn Silverman’, found that fathers who make a conscious effort to spend quality time with their daughter increased the girl’s feelings of self-worth and value. This led to encouragement that focused on nurturing ambition and natural skills. Less surprising is the fact that these girls then grow into confident women, who know their own strengths and values. In a sweet note from the study, girls interviewed by the author remembered being complimented on their humour, kindness, generosity and self-initiative by their fathers – rather than physical appearance (although an Irish daddy can be a great confidence booster). So, even though we know we can thank him for a million and one little things, chances are your father-daughter downtime is helping you hit career highs while instilling that self-worth. Legend. Need more proof? Here’s 13 other ways your Irish dad is the best man ever.