My Great Sporting Memories – from Local Club to Olympic Games
For those of you planning to relax this Christmas and who like a good read then look no further than former GAA Handball National Manager Lorcan O'Rourke's recently published book "My Great Sporting Memories – from Local Club to Olympic Games" Lorcan has kindly allowed the book to be placed on the GAA Handball website for download and all he asks in return is that anyone who downloads the book would make a donation to the Chernobyl Children's Project. Details of the book, a download link and details of how to donate are all below. Sit back put the kettle on and read some fascinating tales by 72 of Ireland's top Sportspeople.
Lorcan O Rourke will be no stranger to all Handball people as he led the Association for over 20 years as National Manager. He gives a background to the book below.
Background - By Lorcan O Rourke
I spent most of my working career with the GAA and the Irish Handball Council involved with active and healthy sportspeople and I also had a lengthy sporting career. When I retired I thought I would do something in return for that and when I saw a series of images of the effects of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster on so many people, especially the children, I decided on this project as it coincided with the 25th anniversary of the nuclear explosion at Chernobyl. All profits from the sale of the book go to Chernobyl Children’s Project International.
The 72 stories written by 54 sportspersons and 18 sports journalists, including nine from RTÉ, cover a wide range of subjects from 14 sports and are inspiring, touching, humorous and enjoyable. Well over 200 people helped bring this publication to fruition. The full list of contributors is: Paul Brady, Martin Breheny, Trevor Brennan, Philip Browne, Joanne Cantwell, Brian Carthy, Brian Cody, Colm Cooper, Lar Corbett, Michael Corcoran, Eamonn Cregan, Eimear Cregan, Paddy Cullen, John Delaney, Ronnie Delany, Tony Doran, Mick Dowling, Angela Downey, Johnny Doyle, Páraic Duffy, Bernard Dunne, Adrian Eames, Dermot Earley, Dessie Farrell, Bernard Flynn, Cliona Foley, Eddie Harty, Liam Hayes, Jamie Heaslip, Jacqui Hurley, Bernard Jackman, Jimmy Keaveney, Eddie Keher, Eoin Kennedy, John Kenny, Joe Kernan, Noel King, Joe Lennon, Olive Loughnane, Stevie McDonnell, Eugene McGee, Jim McKeever, Catherina McKiernan, Joey Maher, Darragh Maloney, Valerie Mulcahy, Con Murphy, Conor Niland, Christy O’Connor, Jamesie O’Connor, Mary O’Connor, Walter O’Connor, John O’Mahony, Colm O’Rourke, Jim O’Sullivan, Sue Ramsbottom, Trevor Ringland, Dan Shanahan, Fiona Shannon, Jack Sheedy, Liam Sheedy, Mikey Sheehy, Henry Shefflin, Cora Staunton, Joe Stack, Ronan Sweeney, Katie Taylor, Gearóid Towey, John Treacy, Tommy Walsh, Tony Ward, Dermot Weld.
The images for the book were provided free of charge by Ray McManus of Sportsfile and the RTÉ sports library. No fees were paid to any of the players, athletes or journalists and many of them said they were delighted and privileged to contribute their sporting highlights and memories for such a worthy cause.
The book was partly sponsored by the Central and Provincial GAA Councils, Martin Donnelly & Co, Envirogreen Building Services, GAA Handball Ireland, Cumann Camógaíochta na nGael, Michael Murphy EZ Living (Newbridge and New Ross), Kingswood Plant and Ballybrittas Motors; without their financial support it would not have been possible to undertake such a major task.
Lorcán O’Rourke 142 Moorefield Park Droichead Nua Co Chill Dara
087 6555 042 E: lorcanorourke@eircom.net
REVIEWS OF MY GREAT SPORTING MEMORIES
Eugene McGee, Irish Independent
“One sports book for Christmas I particularly like is ‘My Great Sporting Memories’ edited by Lorcán O’Rourke, formerly of Croke Park. It is 72 short chapters in which sports people and journalists write about their own personal memory of a special sporting incident. This fine publication is also in aid if a worthy cause with all proceeds going too the Chernobyl Children International charity.”
Liam Kelly, Irish Independent
My Great Sporting Memories (A miscellany by 72 authors) THEME: This is a fundraising compendium in aid of Chernobyl Children International. It includes anecdotes and recollections from 72 sportspeople, including athletes, administrators and sportswriters from soccer, rugby, GAA, boxing, racing, Tennis and much more.
GOOD READ?: The format means it is easy to dip into and that’s the ideal way to read it, rather than from cover to cover.
READERSHIP POTENTIAL: Anyone with a sentimental or any interest in Irish sporting history from Ronnie Delany onwards; an entertaining reference book across a wide range of Irish sports.
Tommy Callaghan, Sports Editor, Leinster Leader
“A fascinating book indeed is My Sporting Memories in which household names such as Brian Cody, Colm Cooper, Trevor Brennan, Ronnie Delany, Bernard Dunne, Jamie Heaslip, Noel King, Colm O’Rourke, Jack Sheedy, Katie Taylor and Dermot Weld are among a host of sporting kings and queens that recall their special memories.”
Ronan Murphy, Late Late Show Book Reviewer “This is a great book.”
CHERNOBYL CHILDREN’S INTERNATIONAL PROJECT
"If our tears do not lead us to act then we have lost the reason of our humanity, which is compassion." (Dalai Lama) The Chernobyl Children International (CCI) was established by Adi Roche in 1991 in the aftermath of the world’s worst nuclear disaster in Chernobyl on 26 April 1986. CCI is one of the leading international NGO accredited charities at the forefront of development work in Belarus & Ukraine. In over 20 years the charity has evolved its programmes to meet the development challenges of a truly long-term disaster. How Chernobyl Children's Project International Began “SOS appeal. For God’s sake, help us to get the children out.” This desperate appeal made by Belarusian and Ukrainian doctors was sent in a fax and received by Cork Nuclear Disarmament volunteer Adi Roche in January 1991. The fax was simple and to the point: it simply begged that the children be taken away from their radioactive environment so that their bodies had some chance of recovery. CCI has delivered over €100 million worth of aid to date to the Chernobyl region, and brought over 21,000 children into Ireland on life-enhancing Rest and Recuperation. As a direct result of the charity’s intervention, the quality of life of thousands of children from the Chernobyl zones has been improved immeasurably. Research has shown that each child taken from their radioactive environment to Ireland is ‘returned’ two years of life. The overall objective of CCI is to develop medical and humanitarian programmes that facilitate long-term sustainable community-based solutions, building up local capacity and directly benefiting local communities including children and adults. CCI works in partnership with the Belarusian Government and has fostered strong relationships with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, the Ministry of Labour & Social Protection, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health. CCI manages and operates projects across the following key programme areas: • Medical Programme • Rest & Recuperation • 'Aid Direct' • Sustainable/Building • Cardiac Programme • De-institutionalisation • 'Homes of Hope' • Hospice & Community CCI is recognised internationally as the largest global contributor to Belarus and is deeply respected at all levels in the country. The charity was awarded official NGO status by the UN in 2004 and it is the only charity working in the Chernobyl area that has been granted this status. The charity is registered in Ireland, the UK, Belarus and the USA. There is a fulltime resource of eight staff in the Head Office in Ireland, and over 40 professional, administrative and medical staff in Belarus. Without the help of thousands of volunteers, CCI would be unable to achieve so much.
CCI website www.chernobyl-international.com
BANK DETAILS for CONTRIBUTIONS to CHERNOBYL CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL FUND
Bank: PTSB Bank, Patrick St, Cork
Account: Chernobyl Children Project International
A/c No: 36410021 Sort code: 99 07 01
IPBS: IE2D
IBAN: IE 92 IPBS 9907 0136 4100 21