Teach local history in our schools - author's call at Mayo book launch

LOCAL history should be taught in ours schools to give young people pride in their own places.

That was the view expressed by Johnny Mee at the launch of his book, Between Mee and You, at the Wild Atlantic Words festival.

Johnny has certainly made a valuable contribution to the record books of Castlebar with the release to great acclaim of his first book at the age of 89.

Local characters and events of times past are recounted, as featured over his 20 years of writing the Auld Stock column in The Connaught Telegraph.

Johnny took to the stage at the festival dome in conversation with Edwin McGreal of Mayo Books Press and regaled an appreciative audience with his recall of events and people, including growing up on McHale Road, the local soccer scene, his time in politics - 'a Labour of love' - and being a founder member of the Western Care Association.

He was joined by people from all facets of his life for the occasion - neighbours, friends, political figures, former work colleagues and his family, paying tribute especially to his wife Mary and their children for their support over the years.

Edwin spoke of Johnny's pride and care in his work, and his phenomenal recall that saw him keeping the memory of people alive.

This social history of Castlebar is, he said, 'a treasure trove'.

During their conversation Johnny recalled how people had very little money, but they were filled with kindness, and often great wit. Like a conversation about someone who had died, where his father remarked that whatever they'd died from, 'it wasn't too serious'.

Johnny admitted to being 'a curious old devil'.

“I like meeting people. You have great characters in every town.

“Keep talking, that is the most important thing,” he advised.

As someone who finished school in sixth class, Johnny is keen that education is key and he's proud of how Irish people have cemented their place in the world because of this.

Not that it ever held him back, although he did admit something in a questions and answers session with the audience.

“There is no word that you cannot spell?” he was asked to confirm by a curious audience member.

“Absolutely untrue,” the rapid response.

When asked who his political hero was, he was quick to single out former minister Noel Browne who was a leading figure in the fight against TB and introducing the mother and child scheme, for which he was widely lambasted at the time.

Ernie Sweeney, whose birth with his twin was announced by Johnny on page one of the Connaught, wondered if he would reveal 'Who burnt the school?' The answer, we're told, is going to kept with the third secret of Fatima.

On matters sport, Johnny's ties with Castlebar Celtic are well known, but when Road Rangers came on board and played Celtic, where did his loyalties lie, former FAI president Pat Quigley wondered.

“They were 50/50.”

A very politically correct answer.

Michael Feeney commented on Johnny the politician: A man of principle, who stood for Labour at a time when no one would. The vote he got was a Johnny Mee vote.

Had Johnny taken the 'easy way', he had no doubt but that he would have been in the Dáil for years, telling the event: “That is our Noel Browne up there.”

The affection Johnny has for his home place is written on every page of his book.

That same affection and appreciation for him and his work is reciprocated in the public response to Between Mee and You.

It's flying off local book shelves.