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All-Ireland football medallist, teacher and writer Jack Mahon was as passionate about hurling, horse racing, golf and swimming in the Atlantic as he was about his winning sport.
Born in Dunmore, county galway the "heartland" of footballing in north Galway, Mahon was one of the youngest among a family of eight children.
His enthusiasm for Gaelic football developed while a boarder at St Jarlath's College, Tuam, where he had the best and worst of times, with corporal punishment, herrings on Fridays and the flu of 1947 which claimed the lives of several students. In September 1950 Mahon registered as a clerical student at St Patrick's College, Maynooth, but was hit by mounting doubts and left in 1954. It was a major decision at the time, which brought him close to a nervous breakdown. He returned to the bog at home to spread turf and "got back to himself" with his parents' support.
Having qualified as a teacher, he worked at Enniskillen Technical College and Fr Griffin Technical School in Galway city and was then appointed principal of Moneenageisha Community School in 1969- much of this book is centered onm his time at that ( then new) school
He often recalled an incident which occurred during his early teaching days at Fr Griffin Road, where he told four troublesome students that none of them would ever achieve anything in life because of their attitude.
The four turned out to be Christy O'Connor jnr, a Ryder Cup hero; John Connolly, Galway's first hurling All Star; Val O'Brien, a successful horse trainer; and Tommy Lally, who played in goal for Glasgow Celtic and managed Galway United.
Mahon was a prolific writer, for the Galway Advertiser and the Western People, and wrote 19 books, including a biography of the former Aran Island centenarian, Brigid Dirrane, and the story of BobbyJo, dual Grand National winner.
