Peadar Ó Túatain

The interview begins with an account of Peadar O Túatain’s sporting upbringing in the Cargin area of Co. Antrim. The influence of family was crucial: both his parents were GAA enthusiasts and he recounts experiences of listening to games on the radio, to playing underage football and hurling with the Erin’s Own club and to the other social activities, céilis in particular, which were promoted by the club. The lack of alternative sporting or recreational opportunities in the area is discussed, as is popularity of Scór and the failed efforts to promote the Irish language. The sport with which ó Túatain is most associated is Rounders and much of the interview is taken up with a discussion of his involvement in its promotion and development at schools, club, county and national levels. Indeed, it was through his efforts to develop the game in schools that he met his future wife, a teacher who also became a keen supporter of Rounders. Their children also acquired an interest in the game, all of them winning All-Ireland medals at various levels.