Shovlin on Molloy's book: ‘I’m sure we’ll still be friends after I read it'

"It will be an interesting read. I didn’t see anything yet. I’m sure we’ll still be friends after I read it,” said Martin Shovlin, speaking at the launch of ‘Anthony Molloy, a Memoir on Life, Glory and Demons’ on Friday night in the Blue Haven, Kilcar.

Shovlin and Molloy have been good friends for most of their lives and played together for Donegal at all age groups.
“I would have met Anthony for the first time at U-16 level. From that I would have played county minor with Anthony, Vocational School with Anthony for two or three years. We went on then to U-21s in 1980, ‘81 and ‘82.”

In some ways the pair were very similar in their swashbuckling style although Shovlin was able to play until recently because he was rarely injured.He remembers Molloy always as a midfielder.

“From ever I remember him, he played in the middle of the field with all them teams,” Shlvlin said. “Anthony was a great character, a great leader and great to play with. You could always rely on Anthony when things were getting hot and heavy.
“He had a great pair of hands and he was very, very strong, physically strong. He was just naturally strong, but that was the way then. There was no lifting weights.”

Shovlin would have many stories about travelling to training and even during training and he wonders what might be in the book.

“I don’t know what he has put in the book, but it will be interesting to read what’s in the book. I’m not going to say anything yet!,” Shovlin laughed.

“Ah God, we used to have great times travelling to training, especially after weekend games and the craic we would have had
the weekend before and slagging. It was great fun to be going to training; you would be looking forward to it.

“Anthony was very popular. You just couldn’t dislike him. We go back a long way and it was a pleasure knowing him.”
Shovlin agrees that midfield was a bearpit back then as Liam Hayes had pointed out at the launch. “That time every kick-out had to go to the middle of the field and it was a real battle between big men. It was great to see and watch. Hayes and him had many battles.

Click here to buy 'Anthony Molloy An Autobiography: A memoir on life, glory and demons'

“If you were down, you got up and got on with it. You would hate to be lying down, people would be laughing at you. If you were down, you were hurt. The water was a great job,” added Shovlin.