Westmeath greats featured in new GAA book

Westmeath football greats Larry Giles and Michael 'Spike' Fagan feature in a recently published book on some of the GAA's most respected figures .

Our Field of Dreams is a fascinating sports book featuring the stories of a host of football greats, as told by themselves, from across the thirty two counties stretching back over the decades. Clubs and associations from the UK and as far distant as south-east Asia, Canada, and United States have also generously highlighted their activities and progress in their adopted lands. Ladies Gaelic Football – LGFA – its origins and development is also comprehensively covered with their stories too from a number of its stars, while a legendary referee offers an insight into his involvement in ‘a funny old game’.

Larry Giles puts the spotlight on Westmeath’s game against the then All-Ireland champions, Derry, in 1994, as the personal highlight of his inter-county career.

He reflects on Spike Fagan’s team talk, who having played compromise rules with some of the Oakleaf players, instilled a belief, strength and confidence in the team. That Coralstown/Kinnegad were also represented on the panel by Jack Cooney and Anthony Coyne, made it a very special day.

In the book Spike Fagan recalls moving from Ballinagore, a stronghold of hurling, to Mullingar.

It was after the move that his interest changed to football and further developed on entering secondary school and when he was later called for trials for the county minor team.

In 1984, he was a member of the Westmeath team which beat Dublin - a game in which he believes he caught the eye of Kevin Heffernan, manager of the Compromise Rules Team, resulting in a successful call up to the first and second test matches for the Australian trip.

Laced with a rich mix of drama, passion, humour, and, indeed, a touch of sadness, alongside archival material, other memorabilia and photographs, those icons of the sport – so well remembered and many known to us – tell their individual stories with a measured quality of the myriad of ways Gaelic football has shaped their lives.

The 180-page full colour publication, compiled by Roscommon native, freelance correspondent Tom Curley, makes for powerful reading across Gaelic sport at all levels and all ages. The official launch, already deferred on more than one occasion, due to the pandemic, will take place during the coming months when, hopefully crowd restrictions are eased.

Meanwhile to obtain a copy of book – go online at www.mayobooks.ie, call 087-6739799 or email legendarygaelicfootballers@gmail.com.