Offaly author takes a close look at how his native village has had a huge impact on his life

Ballinagar author Brendan Brophy has produced another book - his third and this latest work takes a close look at how his native village has had a massive impact on shaping his life.

For those who know Brendan, the titles of his previous books, On Three Wheels (1997) and Playing a Bad Hand (2010) gave a good hint as to the ground they would cover. They lay out the challenges of living with a disability, especially when the country was less accommodating than it is today. Services and supports in 1960s, 70s and 80s Ireland weren't what they should have been. But the books are also a celebration of what can be achieved when someone pushes past what others would see as constraints. Brendan lives a full life and revels in the chances he's been given to broaden his horizons.

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These books are self-published, which is a mark of the type of person Brendan is. He had an idea with his first book and wanted to see it through himself, so he went about getting it into print on his own steam. And it was the same with this project too.

His latest book gives us his observations on his own life in Ballinagar and of those in the community around him.

It's an acknowledgement of the village of Ballinagar and how it shaped who he is. It deals with the demands of his condition but there is also plenty of humour as he recalls his interactions with family, neighbours, and service providers.

It also goes beyond the village and recounts trips well beyond the confines of Ballinagar. Brendan loves to travel and all of his trips usually involve high drama and adventure.

Brendan launched "Man of the Village" over the St Patrick's weekend in his local pub in Ballinagar, Tom and Gerry's, with another local author performing the role.

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He'd invited Geraldine O'Neill from Daingean to be his guest speaker. Geraldine is a prolific writer of historical fiction and has had lots of her novels published internationally. On the night, Geraldine spoke about Brendan's humour, courage and determination that comes through in his latest book.

"Man of the Village" Brendan Brophy's third book is on sale widely.