Athlone professor's book has successful hometown launch

A popular figure among his Athlone peers and former neighbours in Assumption Road, Professor Declan McCabe, who has worked for almost four decades in America, launched his first book in his home town last Sunday afternoon.

'Turning Stones' is the title of the book, all available copies of which sold out at the launch held in The Athlone Bookshop on Lloyd’s Lane.

The theme of the book is set around "discovering the life of water" and it examines many aspects of the aquatic world.

Declan, who is a professor of biology in Vermont, USA, was accompanied by members of his Athlone and American family at the book launch event.

"We had a great crowd today. It's fantastic and very humbling to see people turn up on the day of the All Ireland senior hurling final," Declan told the Westmeath Independent on Sunday.

"(The Athlone Bookshop) is a great spot and it's fantastic that Stephen Reynolds, of the bookshop, is supporting someone from Athlone who wrote a book.

It’s a shop with a great selection of books."

Declan has had a few launches of the book in Vermont - each of them at Independent bookshops like the one in Athlone.

"I love independent bookshops and I avoided (large US bookstore chain) Barnes and Noble, because shops like this are worth their weight in gold," said the Assumption Road native.

He spoke to the gathering about lakes and rivers, and the biology professor said he learned many news things while researching for the book.

"We did have a sell-out of the available books at the launch, but hopefully the Athlone Bookshop will get some more books soon," Declan explained.