Three years ago, when Cavan footballer Alan O'Mara was twenty-two, he spoke out about his battle with depression which led him to contemplate suicide. Only the thought of his parents and the pain that they would experience in his death prevented him from taking his own life. Now, in The Best is Yet to Come, he tells his story. From the role the GAA played in his life, to the decision he made to share his journey, this is an account of an ordinary young man, a GAA star, who found a way to move past the dark thoughts that beset his mind during his worst days, and who discovered that the only way out of the darkness is to ask for help. 'In summoning his courage and becoming the first active inter-county player to speak of his experiences with depression, Alan O'Mara gives a much needed voice to an aspect of human experience that has been cloaked in silence and stigma. This book, which is needed now more than ever, gives a rare glimpse into the complex inner world of depression and will give hope to those suffering in silence, guidance to those seeking solutions and inspiration for families and friends supporting loved ones.' Conor Cusack

101 Great GAA Controversies is a collection of fascinating accounts from the field with appearances from some famous and infamous personalities, like Joe Brolly, Ger Loughnane, Pat Spillane and Babs Keating. With stories from the last 130 years, it is the major controversies that turn national games into our nationwide issues, often infuriating but never boring! Revealing insights into the Cork hurling strikes; Bloody Sunday; The Battle of Omagh; the Tony Keady affair; Louth's lost Leinster final; Kerry's undressing; the Sky Sports deal and of course the gripping events of the never to be forgotten hurling summer of 1998, this collection is bound to enthral all fans of Gaelic Games and might even settle a score or two. Including epic tales from Gaelic football, women's football, camogie and hurling, this book is sure to entertain fans of every GAA sport and continue the lore of the Gaelic Games.

Three years ago, when Cavan footballer Alan O'Mara was twenty-two, he spoke out about his battle with depression which led him to contemplate suicide. Only the thought of his parents and the pain that they would experience in his death prevented him from taking his own life. Now, in The Best is Yet to Come, he tells his story. From the role the GAA played in his life, to the decision he made to share his journey, this is an account of an ordinary young man, a GAA star, who found a way to move past the dark thoughts that beset his mind during his worst days, and who discovered that the only way out of the darkness is to ask for help. 'In summoning his courage and becoming the first active inter-county player to speak of his experiences with depression, Alan O'Mara gives a much needed voice to an aspect of human experience that has been cloaked in silence and stigma. This book, which is needed now more than ever, gives a rare glimpse into the complex inner world of depression and will give hope to those suffering in silence, guidance to those seeking solutions and inspiration for families and friends supporting loved ones.' Conor Cusack

*** THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'A heroic outsider - a pleasure to read.' - The Guardian 'A fulsome evocation of football before the Premier League.' - The i 'Such a good storyteller...joyous.' - Financial Times 'Honest, raw, revealing and very funny. How to live a life and career to the full. Insightful book about the most successful outsider inside football ever...' - Henry Winter, Chief Football Writer, The Times 'Pat is a wonderful one-off...and this is the story of why that is.' - John Murray, Chief Sports Correspondent, BBC Radio 5 Live 'Unusually vibrant and elegant with heroic doses of humour, insight and self-effacement, this is an absolute must-read for the football connoisseur.' - Omid Djalili 'The biggest influence of my professional career both on and off the pitch.' - Graeme Le Saux 'I grew up captivated by Pat Nevin the player. As a man he taught me even more about the beauty of the game. One of football's great mavericks, and Chelsea's greatest players. And he can spin a mean tune too.' - Sam Matterface 'I used to walk miles to see Pat Nevin play football and I'd do the same now to read his thoughts. Always challenging, always entertaining.' - Lord Sebastian Coe 'A refreshingly honest and thought-provoking autobiography. As deftly delivered as some of Pat's ball skills in his 1980's heyday.' - ToffeeWeb Pat Nevin never wanted to be a professional footballer. His future was clear, he'd become a teacher like his brothers. There was only one problem with this - Pat was far too good to avoid attention. Raised in Glasgow's East End, Pat loved the game, playing for hours and obsessively following Celtic. But as he grew up, he also loved Joy Division, wearing his Indie 'gloom boom' coat and going on marches - hardly typical footballer behaviour! Placed firmly in the 80s and 90s, before the advent of the Premier League, and often with racism and violence present, Pat Nevin writes with honesty, insight and wry humour. We are transported vividly to Chelsea and Everton, and colourfully diverted by John Peel, Morrissey and nights out at the Hacienda. The Accidental Footballer is a different kind of football memoir. Capturing all the joys of professional football as well as its contradictions and conflicts, it's about being defined by your actions, not your job, and is the perfect reminder of how life can throw you the most extraordinary surprises, when you least expect it.

The perfect golf gag gift, funny golf prank, or book for any golfer who always has an excuse for their wayward shots on the tee box There's nothing better than a perfect day on the course, except for maybe the excuses thrown around for a sliced drive or a missed putt. As soon as you shot goes askew... You can blame your job... You can blame the course... You can blame mother nature... Or you can blame your equipment... But Never, Ever, BLAME YOURSELF! The perfect golf gift for men who always have the perfect excuse for their golf misfortunes, 501 Excuses for a Bad Golf Shot is the ideal father's day gift, gag gift, or present for that friend in your golf league whose excuses are always a hole-in-one (even when their shots aren't).

They are the chosen few who have drunk from the chalice of immortality. They are the men and women who have been part of the 101 GREAT GAA TEAMS. For GAA fans, our great teams bring colour and richness to our lives. When our team is on a winning streak it imbues us with a deep feeling of solidarity and a glow that uplifts the spirit. Great teams have that special power which energises and connects us. They inspire, make our hearts beat faster and let us dare to dream. All the great and the good are here: Jim Gavin's Dublin; Brian Cody's Kilkenny, Mick O'Dwyer's Kerry; Christy Ring's Cork; Sean Boylan's Meath; Ger Loughnane's Clare; Mickey Harte's Tyrone; Nicky Rackard's Wexford; Galway's three-in-row; Liam Sheedy's Tipperary; Mayo's team of the 50s and many more. 101 GREAT GAA TEAMS is a fantastic tribute to the great teams in football, hurling, camogie and ladies' football that have thrilled fans down the years. 'A book which captures the heart and soul of the GAA' - Kieran Donaghy 'This book will evoke great memories for GAA fans' - Jackie Tyrrell 'This book is a long overdue tribute to great GAA teams' - Anthony Daly

For over 130 years the GAA has been at the heart of Irish life. Now, in The People's Games, John Scally tells the compelling stories of the men and women behind the rich history of Gaelic Games. Since the introduction of television Gaelic Games have become a huge entertainment industry, yet at their core remain deeply embedded in the local community. They shape the national conversation and lift the mood of the country. Hurling, ladies' football, camogie and Gaelic football are Ireland's greatest national treasures. Gaelic Games are part of the DNA of the Irish Race, and the people are the beating heart of the Games. This comprehensive collection captures the GAA's evolving history, the fabled heroes, the controversies, the scandals, the pulsating games, the fans, the centrality of the clubs, and the unending and heart-stopping drama. Full of fascinating insights, amusing anecdotes, thrilling tales and new revelations about famous incidents and epic encounters, this volume brings the people's games alive in all their vibrancy. Based on exclusive interviews, this captivating compendium explores the rich history of the men and women of the GAA who made it all happen.

Gaelic Games are the focus of endless debate and speculation, set the mood of Monday's post-match workplace and dominate pub-talk. For many of us, life and death run second to major GAA events. Blood, Sweat, Triumph & Tears looks back at some of the best moments from the sporting nation's favourite soap opera. It pays homage to the great players and people in Gaelic football, hurling, ladies' football and camogie. And it glories in the classic victories and thrilling contests witnessed down the decades. Based on exclusive interviews with the greatest personalities in the GAA's rich history, and covering every county in Ireland, here is a unique insight into the passion and politics, the controversies and crises, the wisdom and wit and all the highs and lows of Ireland's national treasure. Full of entertaining anecdotes, inspirational incidents and epic encounters, Blood, Sweat, Triumph & Tears truly captures the magic of the GAA. 'A book to shorten the long winter nights for any GAA fan.' DERMOT EARLEY, Kildare legend 'Will bring back great memories for lovers of Gaelic Games.' KAROL MANNION

'This obsession of mine has brought both joy and torment. The fixation with winning came from within, it roused me and veered on the dangerous.' This is Sean Cavanagh's account of his extraordinary, obsessive drive to dominate his sport. For the first time, we get up close and personal with the lowest ebbs and greatest highs of his career as one of Gaelic football's era-defining players, and with the truth of what it takes to become a three-time All-Ireland and five-time All Star winner. For 20 years, Sean Cavanagh's relentless routine of train-play-repeat fed an insatiable quest for perfection and made him a permanent fixture in the Tyrone team. His fearless, uncompromising style led him to glory, but his obsession also took its toll on body and mind, and on those around him. As well as the highs, there have been some shattering lows: the anguish and doubt of injury, hostility on and off the field of play, the despair at defeat in crucial games, and the nightmare of gossip hounding his family.

A moving and lyrical memoir about life, love and loss, from a true giant of Gaelic games. In a frenetic seven-year spell at the outset of his senior managerial career, Mickey Harte led Tyrone to four Ulster Championships and three All-Irelands. It was a run that shifted football's balance of power, changed the way the game would be played for over a generation, and cemented his reputation as one of the most transformative figures in GAA history. Then, in January 2011, the visitation of a shocking tragedy changed everything: Mickey's daughter Michaela was murdered while on honeymoon in Mauritius, and the Harte family, grief-stricken, awoke to find themselves at the centre of an international news story. Devotion, the product of a collaboration between Mickey and author Brendan Coffey, is many things. The story of a family's decade-long struggle to come to terms with an almost unimaginable loss. A meditation on the ways in which faith, community, and sport can sustain us in our most difficult moments. And, finally, a portrait of one of Irish sport's true icons, as he brings one legendary era to a close and steels himself for a final assault on the history books

The lore and legend of Gaelic Games has been shaped by great players. Since the Games began, special players have had a unique power to make the heart skip a beat. Now THE GAA IMMORTALS celebrates the achievements of 100 of the very best footballers, hurlers, managers, ladies footballers and camogie players from the start of the twentieth century to the present day. Based around exclusive interviews with a who's who of Gaelic Games, THE GAA IMMORTALS covers all the codes, giving a unique insight into icons of the games, including Dick Fitzgerald, Mick Mackey, Christy Ring, Jack Lynch, Nicky Rackard, Mick O'Connell, Sean O'Neill, Eddie Keher, Jimmy Barry-Murphy, Angela Downey, Lulu Carroll, Nicky English, DJ Carey, Peter Canavan, Henry Shefflin, Gooch Cooper and Joe Canning. With stars from all 32 counties represented, THE GAA IMMORTALS is a fascinating account of the greatest heroes and legends of the games.

"Will you please come back and play for the club Aoife?". Aidan asks his twin sister this question every week. Twins, Aoife and Aidan Power, along with their four best friends love playing Gaelic football. They spend most evenings after school playing football in the green in their picturesque rural village of "Droichead Beag". Aoife and Aidan are skilful and fast but when they combine on the same team, "Twin Power" is unleashed and they have an almost telepathic communication on the pitch, leading to some spectacular scores. But while Aoife loves football, an incident at a match almost two years earlier saw her stop training and playing with her local GAA club, Droichead Beag GAA. Aidan knows what happened, but Aoife refuses to tell her friends. Could it have something to do with their Under 12 counterparts in Gorman GAA, the rival parish team of Droichead Beag, where old rivalries run deep? And how will Aoife's refusal to play affect their school team when the children's teacher Ms. Kelly, herself a former All- Star football player announces an exciting new school's football competition, "Star Schools GAA"? Parish rivalries re-surface and threaten to get out of hand as the children of Droichead Beag National School fight tooth and nail to get their hands on the coveted first ever Star Schools Cup.

This is the incredible story of how the GAA and its people weathered the coronavirus pandemic, and found the strength to survive. In the year 2020, our lives, purpose and favourite pastime as Irish people - meeting each other - stopped overnight. Throughout that dark time, the GAA was at the centre of the country's fight against COVID-19. From the start, thousands of volunteers delivered food and medicine to vulnerable neighbours and friends during lockdown and the association went online, keeping people connected and becoming a beacon of hope. As the association itself faced financial ruin, members had their own life and death struggles. Niall Murphy, of Antrim GAA, spent sixteen days in a coma, fighting the virus, as camogie player Marianne Walsh spent her cancer recovery amid strict lockdowns, dreaming of playing for her club once again. Hurler Domhnall Nugent battled intense isolation as he recovered from addiction. And when championships were shut down after celebrations threatened the association's reputation, uncertainty hung in the air. Through it all, GAA people rallied. Their stories, and the story of the GAA itself, needs to be told.

22 September, 2002 is a date engrained in the mind of every Armagh fan. At Croke Park for the first time ever, the Sam Maguire was lifted in front of a sea of orange and white and the celebrations continued for months. Twenty years on, the story of that famous day is revisited and examined and the reasons for their ascent are detailed by those at the heart of the journey. Orchard stars, fans and opponents all contribute to paint a vivid picture of the day that Armagh were Kings for a Day. Kings for a Day is a book to celebrate that success but also to give readers a new and exciting insight on what exactly happened inside the tight-knit dressing room that took Armagh from also-rans to All-Ireland champions.

The road to Croke Park can be a long one, but for Leitrim hurler Zak Moradi it was longer than most. Born in a refugee camp in Ramadi, Iraq, at the height of the Gulf War, Zak spent his formative years living under the oppressive regime of Saddam Hussein. Settling in Carrick-on-Shannon aged just 11, Zak couldn't speak English, but when he discovered a talent for hurling, life suddenly took off. Zak credits the GAA with giving him the opportunity to put down roots, forge lifelong friendships and build his own life. In this brave, touching and uplifting memoir, Zak reflects on his first 20 years in Ireland: the culture shock of landing in small-town Ireland; the plight of refugees worldwide; the skills he learned through sport and the role it plays in a healthy, balanced mind and in creating a community.

Do you know the secret about Croke Park? When there are no games happening on the pitch, the Croke Park mice play their own games there! Right out in the middle of the pitch! There are thirty-two mice, one from each county in Ireland. They live under the stands and watch every match from their tiny mouse holes. But on the day of the All-Ireland final, the referee is nowhere to be found! Can the Croke Park mice find the referee in time to save the day - and the match? A GAA picture book for children by Ruth and Triona Croke, charmingly illustrated by Audrey Dowling.

This is the incredible story of how the GAA and its people managed to weather the coronavirus pandemic and re-emerge to fight another day. On St Patrick's Day 2020, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced that Ireland was locking down. Our lives, purpose and favourite pastime as Irish people - meeting each other - stopped overnight. Throughout that dark time, the GAA was at the centre of the country's fightback against covid-19. From the start, thousands of volunteers delivered food and medicine to vulnerable neighbours and friends during lockdown. Croke Park and other major stadia transformed into testing centres; the Association went online to keep people connected and became a beacon of hope. As the Association itself faced financial ruin, its members had their own life and death struggles to contend with. Niall Murphy, of Antrim GAA, was in a coma for sixteen days fighting the virus, and camogie player Marianne Walsh spent her cancer recovery amid strict lockdowns, only dreaming of one day playing for her club again. Hurler Domhnall Nugent battled intense isolation as he recovered from addiction issues. And when championships were shut down after celebrations threatened the association's reputation, uncertainty hung in the air. But through it all, GAA people rallied. Their stories, and the story of the GAA itself, now need to be told.

Sports-mad Eoin Madden is home in Tipperary for the holidays. There's no rugby over the summer, so he and his Castlerock boarding school friends, Dylan and Alan, head down to Ormondstown GAA club and get involved with the hurling and football teams. The summer is full of fun as the boys all get into playing GAA - well, apart from Alan, who's more into studying the opposition, and checking out the GAA stats. Eoin and Dylan take part in a hurling and football blitz against other clubs in the county and find some of the skills they've developed in rugby translate well to their native sports. The lads also have a bit of fun setting up a gardening business with their new teammates Vladis and Isaac to make some money. Everything is going well, so Eoin isn't sure why he bumps into his old ghostly friend, Brian Hanrahan - along with the ghost of Michael Hogan, who died in Croke Park on Bloody Sunday. Usually when ghosts appear to Eoin it is because there's something brewing. Some mystery or danger! The only thing going wrong in Ormondstown seems to be a bit of trouble with a gang of bullies. But Eoin and Dylan have handled the bullies - or have they? The ghostly action really hots up when the friends go to Dublin for the All-Ireland Hurling final. Eoin gains a deeper understanding of the tragedy of Bloody Sunday 100 years ago. But will he be in time to stop a modern tragedy unfolding? Book 7 in the acclaimed Rugby Spirit series.

BGE Irish Sports Book of the Year and eir Sports Book of the Year In The Choice Dubs star Philly McMahon shares the deeply personal story of his brother, John, a heroin addict who died at the age of 31. Structured as a series of choices - in sport, in education and in life - the book delves into the contrasting lives of the brothers and how the opportunities presented to Philly through sport and education opened up a world of choice that protected him from the dangers of growing up in Ballymun at the height of the heroin epidemic. As well as offering sports fans fresh insights into one of GAA's most fascinating characters, The Choice is an inspiration for anyone struggling with addiction. Raw, vivid and intensely moving, it is an epic story of triumph in the face of adversity and loss, and a tribute to the redemptive power of sport. 'Should be on the curriculum for all transition year student boys ... it's a book about life ... phenomenal.' DAMIEN O'MEARA, RTE SPORT 'Philly McMahon should be placed on a pedestal and be a beacon of inspiration to all young sports stars in the country.' THE IRISH INDEPENDENT

On the morning of 21 November 1920, Jane Boyle walked to Sunday Mass in the church where she would be married five days later. That afternoon she went with her fiance to watch Tipperary and Dublin play a Gaelic football match at Croke Park. Across the city fourteen men lay dead in their beds after a synchronised IRA attack designed to cripple British intelligence services in Ireland. Trucks of police and military rumbled through the city streets as hundreds of people clamoured at the metal gates of Dublin Castle seeking refuge. Some of them were headed for Croke Park. Award-winning journalist and author Michael Foley recounts the extraordinary story of Bloody Sunday in Croke Park and the 90 seconds of shooting that changed Ireland forever. In a deeply intimate portrait he tells for the first time the stories of those killed, the police and military personnel who were in Croke Park that day, and the families left shattered in its aftermath, all against the backdrop of a fierce conflict that stretched from the streets of Dublin and the hedgerows of Tipperary to the halls of Westminster. Updated with new information and photographs.

Shane Carthy writes frankly and eloquently about his journey over the last five years. He details, without overdramatising, the downward spiral which, days after producing a man-of-the-match display in Dublin's 2014 Leinster under-21 final win over Meath, saw him wake up in St Patrick's Mental Hospital. Carthy also explains what ultimately brought him back to where he is now, discovering a path where life is worth living. He hopes that through his words and actions he can show people that there is a way out of the suffering they may be experiencing and the path, although difficult, is worth travelling.

'The greatest Gaelic footballer of all time.' Pat Spillane When Colm Cooper retired from inter-county football in 2017, he left behind a remarkable legacy. The holder of five All-Ireland medals and eight All-Stars, he was Kerry's stand-out forward for fifteen years. From a family steeped in Gaelic football, and a core member of the Dr Crokes team, Colm was still in his teens when he first played for Kerry at senior level. Overcoming struggles with injury and personal tragedy, Cooper became one of the GAA's most recognizable and best-loved figures at a time of tumultuous change in the game. But the man known nationally as 'Gooch' is also an intensely private figure who has never courted publicity and his personal story remains largely untold. Now Gooch - The Autobiography unlocks a previously unopened door, tracing a compelling path through the life beyond the headlines. This is the story of an ordinary man who became an extraordinary footballer.

Cora Staunton is an iconic figure in the world of modern GAA. In this ground-breaking autobiography, she reveals her extraordinary journey from teenage rookie to the highest-scoring forward in the history of Ladies Gaelic Football. Since making her senior inter-county debut for Mayo at just thirteen years of age, Cora has become a feared and respected opponent on any pitch. Now, for the first time, she recounts the triumphs of her career and the personal struggles that have plagued it. In this refreshingly candid book, Cora recalls finding refuge in the game after the death of her mother, but also speaks openly about the challenges and conflicts she and her teammates have experienced in the under-resourced world of female sport. She gives a fascinating insight into her move to a professional team in Sydney and how she coped with going from a veteran to a newcomer overnight. In the first-ever autobiography of a female GAA star, Game Changer will take its place as one of the most influential and powerful sports books in recent years.

Another 2,000 Gaelic football and hurling questions to test your knowledge of Ireland's best-loved sports. Think you know everything there is to know about Gaelic football and hurling? Think again! The GAA Quiz Book 2 is packed with a further 2000 of the most brain-teasing Gaelic football and hurling questions ever. With 200 ready-to-ask quizzes ranging from the very easy to the very hard, there's something to challenge every Irish sports fan. All aspects of both games will be covered including who won and lost, what records have been set, historic moments, players, teams, awards, significant rulings, competition changes and much more. Prepare for pub quiz success or impress your friends time and time again with your in-depth sports knowledge with the most up-to-date, comprehensive, fascinating on Gaelic sports quiz book around.