Reynolds’ recapture a little of the glory days

BOOK LAUNCH

To paraphrase a line from a song synonymous with our near neighbours the huge crowd that gathered in Walterstown GAA clubhouse last Friday evening for the launch of 'Reynolds - A Family Memoir' were treated to some brilliant stories about heroes of renown.

All-Ireland SFC winner in 1967 and Meath's first All-star in 1971 Pat Reynolds and his two-time All-Ireland winner and All-star son Paddy were guests of honour at the star-studded event that saw the heroes of Meath's Sam Maguire victories in 1967, '87/'88, '96 and '99 gather in the magnificent clubhouse in the Reynolds' home club to recapture a little of the glory days.

From Jack Quinn, Mick Mellett, Ollie Shanley, Tony Brennan and Mattie Kerrigan, from Robbie O'Malley, Liam Hayes, David Beggy and Colm O'Rourke, from Tommy Dowd, Barry Callaghan, Colm Brady, Colm Coyle and Jody Devine to John McDermott, Donal Curtis and Mark O'Reilly and some of the greatest heroes gathered in Walterstown to celebrate with the Reynolds family.

Sean Boylan held the audience captive as he regaled the huge crowd that included many of both Reynolds old team mates, former All-Ireland Ladies SFC winning manager Eamonn Murray, Co Board chairman John Kavanagh, with hilarious stories of the past.

Stories about how cars caught fire on the way to games, about lads going to the wrong pitch, about his first meeting with Pat Reynolds, about how he rang Paddy to come from England to play in 1996 - that, and so much more.

Paddy teased the audience with his reasoning for calling it a day in 2005. "There's no way I'm going into all that here," he said, "you'll have to buy the book."

Pat didn't hold back in some of his opinions as to why Meath football is not reaching the heights it once did and his views were meet with huge applause.

In between going AWOL from the stage for a spell Pat told stories about how after shipping a heavy blow to the head in a World Cup final, yes a World Cup final, against New York he went into the dressing room and started to tog in. It was only when manager Fr Tully asked him what was he doing that he was told it was only half-time and he'd have to continue.

Pat also told a poignant story about meeting some American soldiers in Hawaii during Meath's journey home from the 1968 trip to Australia, and how they told him of the horrors they had seen during the Vietnam war - those stories still stick in Pat's mind today.

It was a night of great laughter and many memories. An opportunity for the great and legendary of Meath GAA to rub shoulders again and recapture a little of the glory days.