Aghamore man’s six-decade Mayo journey captured in new book ‘Keeping the Faith’
The highs, the lows, the heartbreak and the hope of following Mayo football for almost 60 years are captured in a new book by Aghamore native John Gunnigan.
Keeping the Faith – Six Decades of Mayo football, The Terraces, The Mayo GAA Blog, Mayo Football Talk and Sam, published by Mayo Books Press, tells the story of one Mayo fan’s journey from first supporting Mayo as a child in the late 1960's, to setting up the Mayo GAA Blog in 2007 and all the decades of great victories but as many, if not, more heartaches – and ultimately to Mayo’s long-awaited All-Ireland triumph.
John started the Mayo GAA Blog in 2007, creating an online space where Mayo supporters could follow the county team, share their views and stay connected. The blog went on to become a hugely popular resource for Mayo supporters in Ireland and around the world before eventually being subsumed into the Mayo Football Talk website earlier this year.
Keeping the Faith looks back at John’s own experiences as a Mayo supporter, from the tough experiences of the 70’s and 80’s, the hope and despair of the 90’s and into the modern era, and the succession of near misses that left generations of supporters wondering if the county would ever reach the promised land.
It also tells the story behind the blog itself – why John decided to start it, the demands of maintaining it, the occasions when he came close to walking away, and what ultimately kept him going.
And then came the moment Mayo supporters had waited 75 years for. For John, as for thousands of Mayo supporters, the long journey finally ended with the county reaching the summit.
Keeping the Faith is a story for everyone who has ever believed, doubted, suffered and hoped – a personal account of the Mayo journey and one supporter’s perspective on finally seeing the dream come true.
John Gunnigan is a lifelong Mayo football supporter and co-founder of Mayo Football Talk, the website dedicated to Mayo club and county football. A longtime telecoms professional, he is married with three grown-up children and lives in Dublin. Keeping the Faith is his first book.
The book will be officially launched by former Mayo footballer and renowned broadcaster Martin Carney at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, October 6, at the Festival Dome, Bridge Street, Castlebar, as part of the Wild Atlantic Words Literary Festival. Mike Finnerty will act as MC. All are welcome.
There will also be a Dublin launch of the book, which takes place at Books Upstairs, D’Olier Street, on Monday, October 12, at 6.30 p.m. Rob Murphy will act as MC for this event, to which all are welcome.
Keeping the Faith is priced at €20 and will be available at the launch, from all good bookshops, and online here.