New book about the Furlong family

[Bord na Mona man]

This might be of interest to people.

GAA President Liam O'Neill To Officially Launch 'The Furlongs'

Thursday, 21 August 2014

A BOOK detailing the history of the renowned Furlong family from Tullamore will be officially launched by GAA President Liam O'Neill next month.
'The Furlongs - The Story of a Remarkable Family', written by Tullamore man Pat Nolan and published by Ballpoint Press, which is headed up by Clara native PJ Cunningham, will be launched at the Tullamore Court Hotel on Friday, September 5 at 8pm.

Master of ceremonies on the night will be legendary commentator Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh who, incidentally, shared digs with Mickey Furlong, the eldest of the four brothers, in Dublin back in the 1950s.
The Tullamore Court Hotel, of course, is situated on the site where Tom and Margaret Furlong raised their four sons, Mickey, John, Tom and Martin, on whom the book is based. It charts the family's early days in Wexford and a life on the run during the War of Independence, before landing in Tullamore in the late 1920s. The four boys all achieved notoriety through the GAA to varying degrees with Martin becoming most famous as the goalkeeping great on Offaly's All-Ireland winning football sides of 1971, '72 and '82.

Like so many other Irish families, economic circumstance saw three of them turn to America where the name expanded into New York GAA and American football circles.
Interviews with more than 50 people were carried out in the process of completing the book and, given the breath of the Furlong brothers' playing careers, spanning from the 1940s to '80s, a host of famous GAA names from all around the country are expected to attend the event with a sizeable contingent of Furlongs returning from America especially for the occasion.

Proceeds from the book will go to Dóchas (Offaly Cancer Support Group).

http://www.tullamoretribune.ie/articles ... -furlongs/

[llkj]

Sounds like it is going to be a really interesting read. Looking forward to it.

Won't be able make it on the night of the launch, but will definitely be getting my hands on the book. Particularly interested in the American Football aspect of the story, as it is definitely not typical.

I know they don't really need to go fishing internationally for recruits in the States, but I wonder how our top Gaelic Footballers would get on as a punter or kicker in the NFL.

Any thoughts?

[Plain of the Herbs]

Here's an edited extract, printed in yesterday's Sindo. Quite a wonderfully unique story. I look forward to reading the book.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic- ... 49405.html
Incidentally, the older people tell me Tom Furlong was immensely talented and had the potential to be Offaly's greatest footballer. Sadly he fell victim of petty politics and was lost forever to emigration.

[Pot Noodle]

Interview with Martin Furlong by Keith Duggan in today's Irish Times.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic- ... -1.1947145

[True Red]

Anyone know whereabouts in Tullamore I could purchase this Book?

[Pot Noodle]

It's available in Midland Books on High St, Robbins on the Tanyard Lane at the back of O'Connor Square, the Tullamore Court Hotel and Dóchas on Offaly St.
It is also likely to be on sale at the senior football and hurling finals.
For some bizarre and unknown reason reason, Cards 'n' Things in the Bridge Centre haven't stocked it yet.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Piece from Saturday's 'Daily Cork'. This is brilliant, absolutely brilliant. That I haven't bought the book yet is due to laziness on my part, but I fully intend to do so as soon as possible.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/ ... 90887.html

Eric Philpott's perspective on his sending off in the 1964 Minor All-Ireland is an interesting one. One of the Final's key moments. Some great stories were told of that incident around Cloghan in the decades since.

[ryot]

Great read that,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Was 16 & right behind the Canal goals where the sending off happened........................ Eric was the big star for Cork so we applauded big JC when the 2 were sent,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and Eric wasn't a total innocent,,,, both threw a few digs but it was unusual to be sent for that in those days,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Plain of the Herbs]

I bought the book in Dubray Books on Dublin's Grafton Street.

Pat Nolan is a lovely storyteller and the book flows along. Unputdownable. A lovely collection of stories

And it never crossed my mind all those years ago (or indeed since) that the Joan Furlong from Tullamore that I was in College with was Martin's daughter.

[Plain of the Herbs]

In this, the book-buying season, I just want to pay due regard to this book. And bump this topic back up to the top.

Hard to know where to start. Okay, obviously it is the story of Offaly football from the 1947 Leinster Minor win (when Mickey Furlong played) up to Martin’s retirement after 1985. It details how the 1971 & ’72 teams and the 1982 team evolved

But it is much more than a book about football. It is the story of life in rural Ireland, opening with the troubles of the War of Independence and leading up to the present day. A story of the tough lives people lived, of poverty, of the necessity of early school leaving, of illness, of emigration, of new lives and new horizons abroad, of the parents left behind, of living as an illegal immigrant in the USA of the 1990s and of the 09/11 New York attacks and how Martin might otherwise have been in a tower at that time.

It is also a the story of the infamous ‘ban’ on playing foreign games and how the hardline attitude of one County Board official cost Offaly what might have been its greatest player.

Now, I don’t want to paint a picture of misery either. Nolan is an excellent storyteller and the book moves along with the warmth of the good times, of the celebrations and the skites. Particular mention to Martin dropping his wife at the front door of the then Maternity hospital in Tullamore and then carrying on the business of celebrating the previous Sunday’s All-Ireland Final win.

Whatever your age or your interest in football, whether you’re from Offaly or not, there is something in this book for everyone. I hope you enjoy the read as much as I did. Well done, Pat Nolan.