Take the Con Houlihan Trail to find out more about a literary great

THE Latin quarter, Castleisland Rugby Club, the River Maine and Sliabh Luachra are just some of the places credited with stoking the first flames of imagination in the brilliant mind of the late Con Houlihan. Few writers were as perceptive as Con when it came to capturing the uncanny and the wonderful in sporting occasions. Once Con put pen to paper he could sell a Donkey Derby as though it were an Epsom Derby such was his gift for all things colourful. His prose is legendary and the new ‘Con Houlihan Trail’ was launched in 2017 by Castleisland Chamber Alliance. The trail is an amalgamation of Con’s favourite places in Castleisland which is an enjoyable way to spend an hour wandering in the footsteps of one our great writers.

Fifteen plaques along the route containing some of Con’s most memorable quotes is a treasure, while information boards with details about Con’s life are very informative. There’s a lovely bust of Con in the town that’s also worth a visit.

Con lived for most of his life in Dublin but he once quoted the famous poet Cavafy in a line that pays homage to his love of Castleisland: ‘You’ll walk the same streets, grow old in the same neighbourhoods, turn grey in these same houses. You’ll always end up in this city.’

If you want to discover more about Con then this is a great way to do so. Castleisland is a town rich in heritage and is one of the Kingdom’s loveliest gateways.