Fond memories of a great Mayo broadcasting star, 'Willie the Shoe’

by Auld Stock

‘WILLIE the Shoe’ was a big man with a big heart.

He was christened William McNeely but after he purchased a shoe shop on the Main Street, Castlebar, local people named him ‘Willie the Shoe.’

He contributed a weekly article to The Connaught Telegraph written in his own inimitable style.

‘The Shoe’ really came into his own when he joined Midwest Radio as commentator on Gaelic games.

In Willie’s view there was no such thing as a bad game of football.

A game might be as dull as dishwater, but Willie’s view was simple: the commentator was there to entertain his listeners.

Willie carried out this task to perfection. He kept listeners glued to their radios with the intensity of his commentary, each ball was contested with vigour and passion, every score in the game was sheer magic.

Listeners loved his free-flowing style, his choice of words.

Willie wrote a number of articles for Castlebar Parish Magazine.

He had the ability to catch the mood of his readers, genuinely good writing, a mixture of sentimentality and local lore.

Willie is remembered with much affection in his native Castlebar.

God be good to ‘The Shoe.’

He really was the best of the best.