I have a copy which Johnny very kindly signed for me:- "John O'Leary Launched in Spanishpoint on July 3rd." This one certainly not for sale.

It contains transcriptions of 348 tunes, it is full of anecdotes of the characters, the tunes and how Johnny came by them, as well as some very amusing stories. Johnny just loved to tell jokes and stories and his playing for the set dancing was second to none.

I must share with you one story Johnny told me that is not in the book. I was chatting with him one Sunday night in O'Connell's in Knocknagree where he played for the dance, and happened to say to him, "Johnny, you must have known Padraig O'Keefe very well." Never wishing to miss an opportunity to tell a story, "Ah yes" Johnny replied "There was the day Padraig, Denis Murphy and myself were walking along the road, it was very warm, the sun was splitting the stones." he said. "Up ahead we spotted something round and shiny on the ground. As we got closer, we all went down for it and Padraig scooped it up and put it in his pocket. A little further along the road, I turned to Padraig and asked "What was it Pagraig, a half crown?"
"Ah no." Padraig replied. "Sure, 'twas a bird shit"."

The book is a real treasure.

Rog