Signing of Big Tom book

THE Sligo signing of the best-selling book “Big Tom – The King of Irish Country” will take place in Eason’s on next Saturday November 3rd at 2 pm when author Tom Gilmore will be on hand to sign copies of the book.

THE book has spent over five weeks in Ireland’s Top 10 best sellers, reaching number five.

Big Tom and his band were hugely popular in the Sligo area during the dancehall days and he also recorded many songs about the county including “5,000 Miles Away from Sligo” and “Tubbercurry My Old Friend”.

He played his biggest concert to over 82,000 Irish emigrants at the London-Irish Festival in Roundwood Park, Willesden in 1982. He was also the first Irish singer to sell 100,000 copies of a vinyl LP, “Ashes of Love” in 1970 and 10 years later his record sales in 1980 were over one million. He died last April at the age of 81.