Launch of book on Mayo GAA in the spotlight on day six of Mayo festival
Some great days in the history of Mayo GAA clubs are celebrated in a new book by experienced GAA journalist Edwin McGreal.
Our Finest Hour – Mayo GAA Clubs reflect on their glory days features 54 illuminating chapters and over 200 interviews with a host of club legends.
From All-Ireland senior titles for Crossmolina and Ballina to landmark Junior B crowns for Eastern Gaels and Kilfian, Our Finest Hour is a celebration of all that is great about GAA clubs in Mayo.
Featuring wonderful moments across eight decades – from 1958 to 2023 – it highlights some lesser-known stories and fresh perspectives on some famous days. It is also a tribute to the clubs themselves and what they give to their communities.
It is illustrated by over 200 photographs, many of which have never been published before. The book is an impressive hardback and is printed in full colour throughout.
It focuses not just on the glory days but the context behind them, the journeys that precipitated them, the fun and laughter, the sorrow and sadness, all of which offers a unique insight into each and every corner of the county.
The book features 47 football clubs, five hurling clubs as well as chapters on the enduring football relationship on the offshore islands of Clare Island and Inishturk.
"There is something very rewarding about being part of a collective and there are few better collectives within our reach here in Ireland than the Gaelic Athletic Association,’ said McGreal, speaking at the launch, which attracted an overfow attendance to the Festival Dome during the Wild Atlantic Words Festival in Castlebar.
"The sense of pride and identity it fosters at club and county level is marvellous and I wanted to explore the special and unique dynamics in clubs throughout Mayo.
"Clubs are based on inequality – some clubs have lavish playing resources, others are based in parishes fighting the dying of the light. I wanted to be equitable and each club is afforded the same space to examine their own rich, unique history," added McGreal.
Every club in Mayo – as is the case throughout the country – have their own starting point, their own journey and challenges. In this book, you gain an appreciation of the relative importance of success at different grades.
“Not everyone can target Mayo SFC titles but there is always something there for them. Read what winning a Mayo Junior B title meant to Eastern Gaels and Kilfian and you will see how it is every bit as valuable to them as a senior title might be to others.
“Glory days don’t flow freely. They are special and precious because of that. They require a lot of work, a lot of communal effort, vision, determination and no little luck. But they can bring you to a state of being that is very special. They can make you feel at your most alive," added McGreal.
There are over 200 people who were interviewed for the book including some stellar names in Mayo GAA such as David Brady, Kevin O’Neill, ‘Four Goal’ Willie McGee, John Casey, Tom Nallen, Mick Connaughton, Colm Boyle, Billy Fitzpatrick, John Maughan, Frank Browne, Dom Greally and Lee Keegan.
Poignantly, among those interviewed was the late John O’Mahony, who spoke about Ballaghaderreen’s maiden Mayo SFC title in 1972 and the clandestine way he had to get there as he was a clerical student in Maynooth at the time.
Sadly, John passed away in July. The book commemorates him and many other great Mayo GAA club people who have passed to their eternal reward and celebrates the memories and legacies they left behind.
Our Finest Hour – Mayo GAA clubs reflect on their glory days launched last Saturday at the Wild Atlantic Literary Festival in Castlebar with a live panel discussion.
A number of other similar events are planned for different locations in the county, with the next such event in Ballinrobe Racecourse this Thursday evening at 7 p.m.
To keep up to date, follow ‘Our Finest Hour by Edwin McGreal’ on Facebook.
The book is on sale in all good bookshops and can be bought online on mayobooks.ie where it can be shipped worldwide.