Cooney delays take-off for book launch

The 2010 and ‘11 All-Stars hurling teams departed for San Francisco yesterday — but the travelling party was missing one key figure.

Normally the president of the GAA would be on board the trip, but Christy Cooney had to delay his journey by a day, due to a pressing engagement in Midleton GAA club last night.

The occasion was the launching of Tom Morrison’s book ‘An Illustrated History of the GAA in East Cork 1924-2010’, produced by the divisional board.

As a former board delegate, Cooney felt he had to attend, especially as his father Paddy fulfilled the same role before him.

“I was supposed to go to San Francisco today but I’m flying tomorrow morning now from Cork to London,” he says.

“I said to somebody earlier, if I wasn’t here tonight I’m sure my dad would turn in his grave. Irrespective of my dad, it was important for me to be here because it’s my division, it’s what I was reared with and it’s part of what Cumann Lúthchleas Gael is about, our clubs and our divisions, which make up our association.”