Brian Cowen in vintage speaking form as fellow Clara man's book launched

FORMER Taoiseach Brian Cowen turned the clock back with a vintage speech as he launched 'One Last Bend', a new book by his fellow Clara man and great friend, Vinny Henry.

On “death's door” a couple of years ago, Cowen has made a great recovery and is back living a full and active life. He was in ebullient form at Friday's book launch in Tullamore's Bridge House Hotel as he spoke with great passion about an Ireland long forgotten. One of modern Ireland's great orators , his force of personality and rhetoric kept the large crowd spell bound as he spoke, unscripted, for 20 minutes.

The Clara native and long time Fianna Fail TD and minister as well as Tanaiste and Taoiseach was in classic form as he spoke about the Ireland he grew up in during the 1960s and '70s, telling jokes and regaling the gathering with tales. He was very warm in his praise of Henry's book as he recalled and read passages from it.

His speech was appropriate as Vinny Henry's very attractive new book is about an aspect of rural Ireland that was crucially important in the past but has been long gone.

A retirement project after he stepped down as principal of the Gaelscoil in Tullamore, Henry's book provides a tantalising insight into life growing up in Clara. His father Peter owned a general provisions shop in Clara and a crucial part of their business was delivering produce in a van to people living in a vast rural area across Offaly and into Westmeath.

Such deliveries were crucial to rural people in the 1950s, '60s and '70s before private transport became prevalent and almost every household had a car and the ability to do their own shopping in towns and villages.

His book outlines a treasure throve of stories and famed local characters. False names have been used in some cases to protect identies but real names have also been used in several places and it is a truly fascinating book. He also outlines his own youthful escapades as he bid to avoid work in the travelling shop and trouble to play football and engage in a social life.

It was the second launch in a week of the book. His nephew David Henry, a former Dublin footballer, performed the Clara launch the previous Friday and he called on one of his best friends, Brian Cowen to do the Tullamore launch – Vinny and Brian regularly go to GAA games together in O'Connor Park and further afield as Brian continues to recover from a serious health scare and live life as fully as he can.

Accompanied by his wife Mary, Brian was in a wheelchair at the launch and he showed he has not lost any of his ability to capture a room and keep a gathering enthralled – indeed many visitors to the Hotel stopped to listen as they came out of the Balcony Restuarant or had a drink in the Library Bar.

With several members of Vinny's former Offaly football colleagues from the 1970s and '80s listening, it was refreshing to see the respect and humanity shown to Cowen by all.

Unsurprisingly there was a real GAA flavour at the launch. Vinny was an excellent footballer with Clara and Offaly in the 1970s and 1980s. A fast, skilful forward, he played in the 1981 All-Ireland senior football final defeat by Kerry. He was not on the panel that won in 1982 but many of that great squad attended the launch including Richie and Matt Connor (their older brother Murt, a goal scoring hero in the 1971 All-Ireland final win over Galway was also present), Pat Fitzgerald, Sean and Brendan Lowry and Aidan O'Halloran.

Master of ceremonies was his brother Gene while Vinny spoke eloquently about writing the book, thanking his family for their support and encouragement. He also thanked everyone who attended, saying he was overwhelmed by the volume of people from Tullamore and clubs he trained - he joked about the rivalry between Clara and Tullamore.

Vinny's book is an excellent read, detailing an Ireland from a long bygone era but ensuring that it will be remembered locally. The book is superb and is available locally in Tullamore and Clara.