It isn't every day that a book on local history, based on the contrasting reportage of World War 2 in Fermanagh's two local newspapers, ourselves and the 'Impartial Reporter', gets on to the television screen.
But that's what happening to John Cunningham's latest, and 31st publication, 'The Way We Were: in Fermanagh in World war 11 and the 1940's. The Golden Years of Smuggling?'.
Notice of its impending launch was picked up from the 'Fermanagh Herald' by RTE's 'Nationwide' reporter, Alasdair Jackson. Yesterday, he came to Enniskillen Library, one of the author's research venues with his cameraman to film John for a future 'Nationwide' slot.
The programme goes out three days a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and John is guaranteed at least eight minutes' film time, which is a lot in TV time.
So, what is it that makes Mr Cunningham turn out a book a year, on average, all with a distinct local history slant?
"History was always talked about in our family. My father was a schoolteacher and he used to teach a lot of history. He taught in Lettercran National School near Pettigo. Sadly, he died in 1969 at the age of 49".
But, by then, the history bug had well and truly smitten his son. In fact, when he was nine or 10, he used to get the job of cleaning headstones in old graveyards for his father, his uncles, Jim and Fr John Eves and the late Fr Paddy Gallagher to enable them see more clearly who was buried there.
He rates this, his latest publication as, 'a very fine book', and found the subject matter fascinating: "The stories are all printed in the two (news)papers, from August 1938 until the end of the war in 1949. So, the reader will see the story and how it is reported by the two papers".
In addition to the staff of Enniskillen Library, John thanked the Fermanagh County Museum. In fact, he himself was thanked by the RTE personnel for bringing along WW2 artefacts for their film. The programme will also feature other local historians, Joe O'Loughlin, who like John, is from Belleek, and Breege McCusker.
And, it won't be John's last book. He is still only 62 and is showing no signs of keyboard rust. In fact, he has two more books with the printers, a historic heritage trail of Pettigo and a history of Kesh PS and of schools in the Kesh and Ederney area which, together, have yielded 1,250 years of roll books.
Joe O'Loughlin is due to bring out three more books this year. Next week, we will carry a review of, 'The Way We Were' and an update of Joe's writings.
