*Tony Kelly is guest of honour for the launch. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
A NEAR-DECADE project comes to fruition for Ballynacally native Seamus O’Reilly this week.
On Thursday, the launch will take place at The Queens Hotel of Clare GAA in the Championship. It includes all senior championship teams from 1887 to 2023 and was written by O’Reilly.
Joe Ó Muircheartaigh, a journalist with The Kerry’s Eye will be MC on the evening while four time All Star Tony Kelly is the guest of honour as 130 years of Clare’s GAA history is celebrated.
It is O’Reilly’s third book following on from Clare GAA In Pictures released in 2004 and a profile on the club senior championships in Clare from 1887 to 2010.
Spanning 1,197 pages, the latest offering will serve as a handy tool when it comes to settling an argument on who played where and how many times they lined out at senior level in saffron and blue.
Such publications are often a labour of love and this is also the case for Seamus. The total cost of printing the body of work has surpassed €20,000 with sponsorship obtained by a host of generous contributors, all of whom are listed in the opening pages.
Speaking to The Clare Echo at the time of the County Express’ closure last April, Seamus gave an insight into his upcoming project. “I’ll go along to matches. Marty Morrissey said at the book launch for Ollie Byrnes to keep doing something, I’d see myself as being in fifth gear, I’ve no patience. I’m doing a book, Clare hurling and football in the championship from 1887 to the present day, every hurling and football senior championship game played by Clare, it will cost about €20,000. I’d like if County Boards in general took a bit more interest in history but they haven’t”.
