The GAA's first graphic novel marks famous Wexford 1996 success

“I couldn’t find a good quality photo so I’d said I’d draw it myself. It started from there.”

Tom posted the drawing on Twitter and was struck by the reaction. “I thought there was something in this because there were loads of soccer illustrators, but none doing GAA. There’s lots now, very good ones. But not back then.”

Ever since, he’s been drawing GAA and sporting stars in his distinctive style. And now the mothership has landed — his pièce de résistance.

To mark the 25th anniversary of Wexford’s triumph, Tom has published a project seven years in the making — what he believes to be the first GAA graphic novel.

Called Set the Heather Blazing — a nod to the Slaney rebel ballad Boolavogue — a beautiful production charts that emotional Wexford journey, from the early struggles of Griffin’s reign, to the magic moment when they brought Liam MacCarthy back over the border.

As Griffin puts it, in the book’s foreword, “Tom Doyle is a wizard of the genre, a kind of Nickey Rackard of graphic art.”

“I’ll take that,” Tom says. “I know people from other counties will be going, ’Jaysus, will Wexford ever shut up about that win’. But we celebrate every All-Ireland properly here.

“Liam was great to write the foreword for the book. He helped me out with a couple of stories about the team. And he had some difficult times himself, which are mentioned in the book.

“And psychologist Niamh Fitzpatrick was a huge help to me. Wexford were among the first to use a sports psychologist at the time. And Wexford needed psychology more than any team back then.”

The book will be snapped up locally, but there’s plenty to strike a chord beyond the county, with young and old.

“Wexford people will like it hopefully, but I think it’s suitable for any GAA lover, and any comic book, graphic novel lover. There’s a human story intertwined in there: Liam Griffin’s story, Larry O’Gorman, a lot of the lads had trials and tribulations.

It wasn’t straightforward for that Wexford team which is part of why they are held in such high regard in our hearts.

Tom was 14 during that summer of dancing at crossroads.

“Thankfully, I kept a scrapbook of all the newspaper articles and photos from that time, and they were invaluable for reference.

“I still remember travelling up to Croke Park, in the back of my father’s car, my sister in the passenger seat. A Great Dane ran out in front of us going through Enniscorthy and was knocked down. He got up though, not a bother on him but the front headlight on our car was smashed. That was the only blot on a most memorable day.”

Some of the proceeds from the book will go to Wexford Hospice Homecare.

“My father died in 2008. He was 54. He was the one who engrained the love of GAA in me. And in January, my best friend died, aged 39. He kind of pushed me to do this graphic novel as well. They were both well looked after by the hospice, so that’s why I hope this will raise some money for them.”

- Set the Heather Blazing is available now from yellowbelly.ie, retailing at €25.