Last weekend saw the launch of ‘Don’t say you weren’t taul’, Noel Sweeney’s A Memoir‘ at the Silver Tassie Hotel in Letterkenny.
The woodlands suite was packed to capacity as family, friends, locals and reading enthusiasts turned out to get their first copies of the much-anticipated Memoirs of local character Noel Sweeney.
In this entertaining book, Noel recalls his early days growing up on a small farm in Ballymaleel outside Letterkenny, his successful career in the music band Barney and the Circle as well as his many trials and tribulations in building his well-known driving school business Swilly Drive School of Motoring.
Noel reminisces about the ‘the auld days’ of being reared in the 40’s and 50’s, dancing in the Fiesta Ballroom in the 60’s and playing music around Donegal in the 70’s and 80’s.
He also talks openly about the challenges he faced in life and the many twists and turns in his varied and interesting life.
Convoy man and fellow writer Fergus Cleary described how Noels Book ‘offers today’s youth a fantastic insight into the times of recent generations as well as allowing those reared in and around the 1950’s an opportunity for some fond reminisce about their own upbringing ‘
On the night, Loughside Community Chairman, Conor Crossan read extracts of the book between interviews with Noel himself, family members and friends as well as Noels Barney and the Circle bandmates.
Noel was joined by his band members from Barney and the Circle for a music set to round off a fantastic evening.
Speaking at the event, Sweeney said: “I was blown away by the support of the local community in coming out to support the launch of the book. It was an emotional evening and I was delighted with such goodwill and generosity from everyone there”
The book is being released in the build-up to Christmas in order to help raise much-needed funds for charities supporting the homeless.
It can now be purchased online (www.noelsweeney.ie), major books stores around the county and at the Swilly Group offices.
All profits from the sale of the book will be donated to charities working with the Homeless.
Noel will be in Eason’s Book Store at the Letterkenny Shopping Centre from 1 pm this Saturday (24th November) for a book signing.
