‘Laochra Gael na hIarmhí’, Gerry Buckley’s latest book on Westmeath GAA, will be in the shops over the coming days, the Mullingar journalist recreating therein his 17 in-depth interviews with former Lake County footballers and hurlers undertaken during ‘lockdown’ for the Westmeath Examiner earlier this year.
The interviewees range in age from early 30s to early 70s, and they represent a broad spectrum of clubs in the county. Gerry, a midlife convert to sports writing after a lengthy previous career as an accountant, is a lifelong Westmeath fanatic and he has gone down ‘memory lane’ in detail with a host of star players who have worn the maroon and white jersey with distinction from the late 1960s to the early 2020s.
A couple of them, Brian McCabe and Michael Kilcoyne, are equally well known for their exploits in both the big ball and small ball games. The other 15 are better known for one or other code, albeit most operated as club dual players at some stage or other. They are: Ned Moore, Olly Gallagher, Eoin Price, Seamus Conroy, Pat Clancy, John O’Brien, Eamonn Clarke, Damien Gavin, Sean Greville, Tommy ‘Jogger’ Doyle, Dermot Brady, John Fleming, Fergal Murray, Gary Connaughton, and Darren McCormack.
Gerry is indebted to John Moore and his son Sean E in New York, and all of the hugely respected Moore family in Westmeath, London and New York, for their generous sponsorship.
Very modestly priced at ten euro, ‘Laochra Gael na hIarmhí’ will be an ideal Christmas gift for Westmeath Gaels, at home and abroad.
The book is on sale in Millie Walsh’s Maxol service station at Dublin Bridge, Mullingar. Gerry plans to stock a range of other outlets throughout the county next Monday (December 6th) and Tuesday (December 7th).
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