Former Mayo player to launch his book - Memoir of a Ballina man

The dream of many a young man growing up in Ballina during the 1940s, '50s and '60s was to play football for their county. Those dreams remain as real as ever today as young players aspire to follow their icons and when it comes to Gaelic football, Mayo has never been short of heroes with quite a few of them emerging from Ballina.

Eddie Melvin lived that dream, having played with Mayo at minor and senior level, while he also made a notable contribution to Ballina Stephenites, a club that remains close to his heart despite the long distance that has kept them apart, having lived in Dublin for over 50 years. It was Eddie’s life ambition to write a book about the town he loved so well – Ballina.

“I’m not writing a bestseller. This is no blockbuster novel, but merely a record of my life growing up in Ballina, my football career and the friends I made through football and my years in college, while a large part of the book is also devoted to my family, notably by father, Paddy and my dear mother, Mary, who reared nine of us,” said Eddie.

However, this publication which will be launched in Keanes Pub at the Quay in Ballina this Friday night July 5 at 7pm, is not just about the town of Ballina or life at The Quay but a reflection on the social history of what it was like growing up in the Ireland of the 1950s and 60s, when life presented its own challenges.

It is significant that this book will be launched at The Quay in Ballina as it was while growing up there in an era when boats regularly dropped their loads of coal, timber, flour and stretch, that Eddie formed a strong bond with people of that area.

He was born at The Quay, Ballina, on April 5, 1940 and was one of nine children raised by Paddy and Mary Melvin.

Football was part of his DNA from a very early stage as he played at The Quay National School and also played Juvenile in the town leagues. In 1955, the family moved from The Quay to Sligo Road, a short distance away.

He won a juvenile medal in 1955 and a minor medal in 1958 with Ballina Stephenites, the latter achievement acknowledged by his inclusion on the Mayo minor team the same year when he won a Connacht medal with Mayo.

Unfortunately, Eddie didn't get to play in the final against Dublin, but he did play in the semi-final when Mayo defeated Kerry.

He was prohibited from playing in the final by a dictate from the Oblate Fathers as he had joined the priesthood from Belcamp College.

In 1962 he left the Oblates and went to UCD where he graduated with a BA which led to a career in teaching.

He won a Sigerson cup medal with UCD and a Dublin league and championship under former All-Ireland winning Offaly manager, the late Eugene McGee.

Eddie’s inter-county career was brought to a premature end due to injury, but he proudly played for Mayo seniors 23 times over a period of four years in both league and championship at a time when Galway were the dominant force in Connacht football.

One of his proudest moments was in 1966 when he won the county senior championship with Ballina Stephenites, beating Claremorris in the final, thus bridging an 11-year gap since Ballina had last won the title in 1955.

That same evening his grandfather, also named Eddie Melvin, died aged 89. He had won two club medals with the Stephenites in 1903 and 1904.

In those years Eddie played with some of the finest footballers and men he greatly admired such as Willie Casey, Seamus O’Dowd, John Nealon, John Clarke and Walter Corcoran just to mention a few.

In 1968 he received his degree in UCD and won a Sigerson Cup medal, league and championship and went on tour to the USA with UCD.

In later life, Eddie played rugby with Monkstown RFC and Sierra Leone in Southwest Africa where he taught as a lay teacher on a missionary programme before returning to the GAA with St Brigid’s, Blanchardstown after the ban was lifted.

Eddie secured a teaching post in Castleknock College where he became very involved in coaching various sports, including Gaelic football, rugby and tennis.

After retiring from teaching he became involved with Coolmine Rugby Club where he served as president.

Eddie and his wife Emer now live in Castleknock, but to borrow a line from the poem, The Irishman by James Orr - 'The savage loves his native shore,' and he spends as much time as he can in Ballina.

He was recently honoured with the Hall of Fame Award by Ballina Stephenites.