Dublin People - Miami showband book receives major award

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Miami showband book receives major award

Thursday, 13 March 2008

A SKERRIES author’s account of one of the most horrific massacres to occur during the troubles in Northern Ireland received a major literary award at a recent ceremony in London.
Popular newspaper Irish World nominated Neil Fetherstonhaugh’s ‘Miami Showband Massacre’ as the best Irish Book of the Year at its awards ceremony held in the legendary Galtymore venue in Cricklewood, London.
Neil’s book follows Stephen Travers, one of two members of the Miami Showband to survive an attack by Loyalist paramilitaries in Banbridge in 1975, on his quest to publicly seek the truth into the dreadful night his world was torn apart.
‘The Miami Showband Massacre’ details how three members of the band – Tony Geraghty, Fran O’Toole and Brian McCoy – were callously shot dead after a botched attempt by the Loyalist gang to place explosives on their tour bus.
Neil, from Newtownparks, said he was delighted the book has received equal recognition in the UK as it has in Ireland, and that the Irish World award was testimony to this.
Former winners of Irish World awards include Bob Geldolf, John Hume, GOAL’s John O’Shea and legendary actor Richard Harris.
“Considering the subject matter, it was great to see that the Miami massacre is recognised in the UK as an important incident in the history of the troubles,” Neil said.
“I think the release of the book, and the recent unveiling of a memorial to the Miami Showband in Dublin, were very important moments for Stephen to help him close a dark chapter in his life.”
In ‘The Miami Showband Massacre’, Neil accompanies Stephen Travers to the scene of the atrocity in Banbridge before crossing paths with the men who had ordered the killings.
“I think the book was Stephen’s final attempt to reconcile himself with the events of July 31, 1975,” he stated.
Neil revealed that while over 1,000 people attended the Irish World awards ceremony, which was hosted by RTE’s Colm Murray, there was complete silence when Stephen addressed the audience.
“Everybody gave their full attention to what Stephen had to say at the ceremony and he got a huge standing ovation when he was finished,” he said.
“It was quite emotional but it is great for the book to receive such an honour and hopefully it will raise its profile across both the Irish and UK communities.”
After all the awards had been given out, Stephen Travers took to the stage with a reformed Miami Showband.
“The band performed a full set and when they played Clap Your Hands, Stomp Your Feet, which was one of their biggest ever hits, the place erupted,” Neil said.
“It was a song that Fran O’Toole had written and it was upsetting to look up on stage and realise that he was not there performing it.”
The Miami Showband are expected to go on a full tour, which Neil said was clear evidence Stephen Travers had put many of the bad memories of the massacre behind him.
“It had always been about the music for Stephen but that obviously changed after the massacre,” he added.
“The book has allowed him to bury some of those memories and now he can concentrate on getting back to the music and performing live with the band.”
The Miami Showband Massacre, published by Hodder Headline Ireland, is available in all major bookstores.

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