Last year’s best-selling Athlone book, ‘Stepping Back in Time’ by Austin Berry, sold out, and has gone into a second print run in the past few weeks.

The autobiography is the culmination of former Athlone Mayor Austin Berry’s life to date.  The former Independent politician first came to live in Athlone in 1965, from his native Clonshanny, Ballycumber in Co. Offaly.

‘Stepping Back in Time’ was launched by former Minister, Mary O’Rourke, in May 2012, and the book then started selling steadily.

Politics came late in life for him, and he won a tough local election to join Athlone Town Council as an Independent in 1999, when he was 69 years old.  Five years later, he beat off competition from political party members to retain his seat for another term.  In 2004, he became Mayor of Athlone following a tight vote, when Fine Gael, Labour and Sinn Fein members voted for him.

Following his retirement from the council in 2009, Austin toyed with the idea of writing a book, and recounting the many anecdotes of his interesting life at home and abroad.  His granddaughter, Lisa Nicell-Treanor co-wrote the book with Austin throughout the snow filled winter of 2010 up to early last year, and they are both very proud of  ‘Stepping Back in Time’ – Austin’s Autobiography.

Austin’s story has it all laughter, joy, sadness and nostalgia and the limited edition book is available in some local shops, and on amazon.com