Local hero Keano scores with book

With Roy Keane’s autobiography flying off the shelves, early leaks have only served to whet public appetite for the book. 

Indeed, the added publicity and calls of foul play may even have boosted sales, especially in the Keano capital of Cork.

Tim Clarke, manager of Waterstones in Cork, said people were queuing outside the store when it opened at 9am, begging to be relieved of their €20 notes in exchange for the tome.

“This is a big one,” said Tim. “For us as a shop, it’s the book of the year. Roy is such a local hero here and he certainly has a lot to say. It’s a shame the weather is so bad today or we’d have had even more people in for it!”

Gillian O’Regan, store manager at Easons, Cork, agreed with him. She said: “The book is selling really well, there’s been huge interest in it. I think any bit of controversy always helps — it definitely got a good bit of media coverage anyway!

“It’s the book of the moment and there’s been great support for it in Cork because it’s our Roy, he’s a huge personality here.”

Customers in both stores were eager to get their hands on the book. Most said they had already seen excerpts of the book online, but that did nothing to put them off buying a hard copy.

Emmett Healey, a business student at CIT, said: “I’m an obsessive fan, Keano’s great. I’m going to see him on Saturday actually, I’m a season ticket holder so I’m heading up to the match.

“I don’t think the leaks did the book any harm, it bigged it up more than anything really.”

Tom Murphy, owner of Tom Murphy’s Menswear, Cork, said: “I’m actually buying the book for my son but I can’t wait to read it myself. I don’t know whether to give it to my son or if I should read it before I give it to him!

“There are people who say it’s all old news in the book, that we’ve heard all this before, but people are still going to talk about it. I think the leaks meant the book got more publicity which will result in more sales.”

Denis O’Flynn, from Blarney St on Keano’s spiritual home of Cork’s northside, said the online excerpts gave him "a taste" of the book which only made him want more.

“It will be an interesting read," he said. "Better than Ferguson’s book last year anyway!"