The people of  Castletown-Geoghegan and surrounding areas have a real Christmas treat in store for them next week when the history of the GAA in the district is published.

The book entitled Castletown GAA 1895-2000: Preserving a Passion details the history of the Castletown Geoghegan Hurling Club, the St Malachy's Football Club and Castletown Geoghegan Camogie Club in words and pictures and the occasional poem.  The contribution of the St Malachy's-Ballinagore, Ennell Shamrocks and Lilliput Gales to the development of under-age football is also documented. It all began back in 1896 when football was first played in the area. The Kilkenny influence on the development of hurling on an organised basis in the early 1920s is documented and the revival of the Castletown Geoghegan club in 1930 is examined.

Dan Leavy and Dr Waldron were the key figures in this development. How different would have been the history of the GAA in Westmeath and Castletown have been if a few fanatical football men from Kerry had arrived instead?  However, the strength of hurling in Castletown today is not accidental as the book reveals. It is hard to believe now but back in 1989 Castletown Geoghegan were the winners of an 11-a-side Minor championship title organised by the County Board for clubs who were unable to field teams in the championship proper! A structured approach was adopted towards coaching in the early 1990s and incredibly an All-Ireland Féile na nGael Division 2 title was won in 2007 and a second one in 2010. These title victories are documented as are all the underage titles won by Castletown, St Malachy's, St Malachy's-Ballinagore, Ennell Shamrocks and Lilliput Gales . 

The Golden Years of Castletown hurling in the 1950s are featured in two chapters but each decade has its own chapter as the fortunes of Castletown hurling are recorded; the very special senior title of 1986 is given prominence.  

The history of St Malachy's Football Club is covered in similar detail with the senior title win of 1981 given special recognition, a feat that ended a wonderful eleven year spell for the club that first competed in adult football in 1969, as it progressed from junior champions (1970), to intermediate champions (1975)  to senior champions over that time.  The deeds of Castletown Geoghegan Camogie Club  are also documented in detail. There are chapters dealing with Páirc Mhic Eochagáin, the Leinster Club Championship, the Shinty connection, the Schools' Contribution, the Castletown Chairmen (Dan Leavy and Séamus Ó Faoláin) and The Gathering. A very interesting chapter deals entitled The Families from the West examines the impact of the Casey, Corcoran and Lowry families on the history of the GAA in the area and in Westmeath. Castletown Geoghegan has been a hot-bed of Scór and Scór na nÓg over the years and between the two clubs over 100 county, Leinster and All-Ireland titles have been brought back to Castletown. Each of these title wins has been documented and the All-Ireland title wins of the Scór na nÓg quiz team and Michelle Hogg's Scór solo singing title receive special treatment. 

The  emphasis of the history is on club activity in the book's 39 chapters but a series of random facts dotted across the book recognise many of the achievements of club members representing Westmeath.  The final chapter deals with the 2020 season and the book concludes with the Roll of Honour for the club's involved as well as a listing of the club officers of the three club units. 

It could be claimed that the collection of photographs assembled form  a book in their own right. The earliest pictures are of the Castletown-Geoghegan football team that won the county junior football title in 1919 and the junior hurling title in 1921. A collage of pictures taken at the recent county finals provide a visual record of the season like no other that was 2020. Well in excess of 300 pictures, the majority in colour, provide a  visual record of Castletown GAA over the decades and provide a wonderful souvenir for people interested in Castletown GAA or indeed Westmeath GAA.

This project was driven by the  committee of Dermot and Pat Garvin, Eamonn Clarke, Seán Keegan and Ciarán Kirby. Michéle Kirby with the help of Jackie Jackson took care of the essential information on camogie. This group, with a combined service of over 300 years to their respective clubs, collected an incredible amount of photographs and written information on the history of  Castletown-Geoghegan Hurling Club, St Malachy's Football Club and Castletown Geoghegan Camogie Club. Only people with a deep love of their club and an understanding of its community importance, and with  an appreciation of the value of preserving the historical record, could be so dedicated.  Tom Hunt, as editor, was responsible for compiling the text. The work is the product of a huge collaborative effort with many people lending their support to the committee and the project.

The book looks spectacular thanks to the work of  Edel Fallon, Deirdre Cowley Kennedy and the team at Fagan Print & Design, Mullingar. The finished product is testament to the unbelievable patience,  and professionalism of the design and production team.  

Hardback copies of the book have been pre-sold to cover the cost of production, but a small number are still available for purchase. The soft-back edition retails for €30. Keep an eye on the clubs' social media platforms for further information.  

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