Published: July 10, 2008 11:55 am      

Rooney pens book about father, a Steel City legacy

CUMBERLAND - One of the most popular family legacies from the Pittsburgh area has finally been put down into words. "Ruanaidh," written by Art Rooney Jr. and Roy McHugh, chronicles the history of the Rooney clan from the time of immigration to the late 1990s.

"I'm trying to preserve the stories," said Art Rooney Jr., author and son of Pittsburgh legend Arthur "Art" J. Rooney, who died in 1988.

Art Jr. will hold a book signing for "Ruanaidh," which is Gaelic for Rooney and pronounced RU-AH-NEE, on July 19 starting at 11:30 a.m. at The Book Mark'et in Oakland.

The nonfiction novel tells the story of the Rooney clan's immigration from Ireland and its move into the North Side of Pittsburgh. The first half tells about the people coming over from Ireland. The second half is where Chuck Noll comes in and the rest is history, Steeler history that is.

Art J. Rooney started the Steelers in 1933, after he and his brother Dan had a brief career in the minor leagues with the Wheeling Stogies. "The Chief" as he was affectionately known, was a pioneer in the sports world and after a getting the ball club on its proverbial feet, produced a team that went on to win five Super Bowl titles.

"His team was like Moses wandering through the desert for 40 years," said Art Jr., referencing the slump the Steelers experienced in the early years.

Steeler Nation extends far beyond the bounds of Pittsburgh's city limits, and Art Jr. said the book was not originally supposed to be sold.

"I wasn't going to sell the book, but Roy said it was readable."

Approximately 2,100 books were printed and Art Jr. looks for Steeler fans and Browns fans alike to pick up a copy.

"I heard a story; I hope it's true. An out-of-towner who wanted to move to Pittsburgh asked his taxi driver to show him what the city was like. He took him to the North Side and showed him a statue of my dad and said, 'That's what this town's about,'" said Art Jr.

Not entirely about the Steelers, the book offers anecdotes and stories that came from family and friends of the Rooneys throughout Art Jr.'s life.

"I didn't want a Steeler book, I wanted a family book," said Art Jr.

Most of the book is written with colloquialisms native to Pittsburgh, known as Pittsburghese, and the information comes from diaries that Art Jr. has kept for over a decade. The information is a mix of folklore, family-lore and sports-lore. Art Jr. admits he could not have done this without McHugh's superb help.

"He has been phenomenal," said Art Jr. "I can't spell, and when I try to type it's like I am just thumbs," Roy said. "I am like James Joyce - I write like I speak, but the difference is that he always gets to the point, and I never get to the point."

Art Jr. figured that if he didn't write this novel, then someone else would. About 30 years ago, the editor for Sports Illustrated approached Art Jr. about writing a book about his dad and family and that is when the idea formed. The book has been in the making for the past 12 years.

Aside from the chronologically arranged text, the novel is filled with illustrations from cousin Kathy Rooney and Merv Corning.

"With the dust cover and all of the corny artwork, that book will be a collector's item. Plus, it has a pretty good story," said Art Jr.