Denis Lyons

Denis Lyons, a former politician and Minister of State, opens the interview by discussing his family background in the GAA and his early personal experiences of travelling to matches in Cork and beyond. Lyons talks about the place of the GAA club in local community life and discusses the local geography of Gaelic games in the Blarney and mid Cork region. The acquisition of the Blarney club grounds – and the means of its financing – in the late 1950s is discussed, as are some of the highs and lows of the club’s playing record over the subsequent decades. The club’s trip to America in 1980 is also dealt with.