McGunker

About the Book

Growing up in the shadow of Shantemon Mountain with Finn MacCool's five finger stones was never going to be straightforward nor easy!

Throw in a hint of domestic and neighbourly strife and mix it up with a bit of Republicanism, orchard robbing, frog catching and stone throwing and things become even more complicated. Then there's the religious and political turmoil and if that isn't tricky enough, there's also spuds to be dug, hens to be fed and cattle to be reared. To cap it all there's the education the Conaty boys received from one Martin "Bomber" Breslin.

Salvation has to come and it does in the form of McGunker, the Liverpool football club and especially Kevin Keegan himself.

Essentially, McGunker is a young boy's diary of 1970's events, both real and imagined. It draws on the storytelling and the humour of the many fascinating characters the Conaty (pronounced with an "r") brothers and their kid sister, Philomena, were lucky enough to grow up around and laugh with.

About the Author

Michael Conaty hails from Corratubber in Co. Cavan. He and his wife, Martina, still live and farm there with their three daughters and two sons. Needless to say, all of their children are Liverpool supporters!

Michael attended the local primary school in Castletara and was also educated at Cavan Vocational School and Marino Training College in Dublin. Today he teaches in the neighbouring St. Mary's N.S. Drung.

He kept a diary as a young boy and McGunker is built around events of the early seventies. He still dreams of scoring a last minute winner at Anfield.