Laois Nationalist December 24th 2003

UP To 100 people gathered in Peader’s Inn in Rathdowney on Monday night December 15 to wish Rathdowney man Michael Creagh well at the launch of his new book of poetry The Rhymes of a Rustic Boy.

Mr Creagh, who hails from Harristown, launched his 30-poem book, which covered topics of his childhood and growing up in his locality.

As producer and director of many Rathdowney panto group Mr Creagh has been writing scripts for the past 18 years with his cohort Dr Niall O’Doherty. He joked, “you could call us the local Rogers and Hammerstein”.

He was delighted so many people turned up at the book launch. He said he based many of his poems on growing up in Rathdowney. They tell the story in poetry of such characters as sweet shop owner Billy Egan, the last of the cobblers in Rathdowney Waxie Gorman and local athlete Jack Malone all of whom have since passed away. He also wrote of happening such as car-boot bargains and a trip to the dentist and also a poem on Donaghmore Workhouse. Music was supplied by his sisters and added to the occasion.

From the huge crowd that attended the official launch of The Rhymes of a Rustic Boy and their glowing reviews of the book Mr Creagh can be assured of much more success in this field of writing.

Mr Creagh expressed his thanks to all who assisted him in writing his poems, particularly his mother and sisters and all those who supplied him with pictures to go with the poems.