Joe Veselsky (centre) with (left) Pat O'Brien and (right) Joe Hickey (Photo: Catherine Hickey) by Joe Hickey, Irish Table Tennis Association Josef Veselsky, now that’s too formal, he is Joe; he was born in the same month as the independence of the country known as Czechoslovakia was officially proclaimed. During his youth Joe developed great sporting ambitions and focused his energy towards table tennis; he achieved a top 10 national ranking. He became a banker, married Katarina, always Kathy, who was her husband’s greatest supporter throughout their 64 year marriage, until she passed away in 2009; they had two children, Peter and Kate. Memories of happy times but also Joe endured very sad times in his early years. In 1938, he was 20 years old
