THERE WAS a massive turnout on Tuesday night in the National Museum for the launch of Jimmy Deenihan's autobiography, My Sporting Life.

Museum director Pat Wallace (despite not being a Kerryman) was the MC for a night of nostalgia, humour, music and song.

The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht was praised to the rafters for his sporting and political achievements, not to mention his work promoting north Kerry’s remarkable literary heritage.

Minister Micheal O’Regan (as we like to call him) of the adjoining desk in this parish, made one of the many speeches. Some may have deduced from listening to his many radio and television contributions that Michael comes from Kerry too.

In a marvellous gesture of ecumenism, former Dubs captain Tony Hanohoe, who featured in the epic clashes between Kerry and Dublin in the 1970s, was invited to launch the Minister’s latest opus. “Jimmy and I met by accident in September 1976,” said Hanohoe, recalling how, as a flying centre forward, he hit the defensive wall that was Deenihan and sustained one hell of a headache.

The huge attendance included Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Minister Pat Rabbitte, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, Gina Menzies, former senator Maurice Manning, poet Brendan Kennelly, Kevin Heffernan, and many others from Deenihan’s sporting and political careers.

Published by Red Hen Publishing, proceeds from the book, which also had a Kerry launch, go to the Lartigue railway restoration project in Listowel.

The Kingdom contingent would still be talking about themselves today were it not for the mummies who came in from the Egyptian Room and said they wanted to get a bit of sleep. Indeed, such was the feeling of festive goodwill sweeping around the marbled halls of the museum, even Cork people were allowed to attend.