Charlie: The Story of Charlie Gallagher, the GAA's Lost Icon
October 25, 2019
Charlie Gallagher accepts silverware for Cavan at the Wembley tournament in 1966.
A new book recounting the life of "the George Best of Gaelic football", former Cavan and Ulster star Charlie Gallagher, has soared to number three in the national sports book best-seller charts.
'Charlie: The Story of Charlie Gallagher, the GAA's Lost Icon' tells the story of the Breffni attacker who won four Ulster SFC medals (two as captain) and four Railway Cups and was renowned for his charisma and extraordinary scoring feats.
Born in Cootehill on Christmas Day, 1937, Gallagher made his debut for Cavan in November 1955 and was a dentist by profession. His older brother, Brian won an All-Ireland medal with Cavan in 1952 but Charlie went on to achieve legendary status.
Gallagher, who has been described as 'the George Best of Gaelic football' was a well-known figure in the county and nationwide. He regularly featured in the national top scorers list and topped the charts on a couple of occasions.
In 1964, he was one of just seven footballers nationwide selected to represent Ireland in the John F Kennedy Memorial Games in New York. Charlie also won a Cuchulainn award (the forerunner of the All-Stars) and captained Cavan to two wins in the Wembley tournament, against Sligo in 1966 and Galway a year later.
In 1984, Gallagher was named on the GAA's 'Greatest XV never to win an All-Ireland medal'. The book (published by Ballpoint Press) charts Gallagher's early life, football career and his battle with alcoholism in later years, leading up to his untimely death at the age of 51 in 1989.
Charlie lived in Derry for over 20 years but returned to his native Cootehill most weekends for football matches, with crowds gathering on the street to greet him.
The book features contributions from many of Gallagher's teammates and opponents as well as family, friends and neighbours, many of whom recall Gallagher's charm and witty one-liners.
"When Charlie went for a ball, bang, gone like a light!" recalls Gallagher's teammate Frankie Kennedy.
"He was the best man to take off. And when he went for a ball, he was in the air. You couldn’t hit him. If you hit Charlie, he went up, instead of down. He had the best balance of any footballer I ever saw. Ever. You couldn’t knock him down.
“He could score equally proficiently off his left, or right, over his shoulder. Equally. And he might come and say to you: ‘What did you think of that, Frankie?’”
The book has been described as "a wonderful read" by the Irish Daily Star and "quite brilliant" by Off The Ball and is sure to make a great stocking filler for GAA fans everywhere. It is available from all good bookshops priced at €14.99.
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