|
Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Ball games > Gaelic football
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
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
"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.
*** 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).
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
100 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. 100 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.
Before Jason Sherlock was an icon of Hill 16, he was a prodigy in
basketball, soccer and even hurling. Follow Jason's journey from an
estate in Finglas to the top of the Irish sporting world and how he
became an Dublin GAA icon as the Boys in Blue won the All-Ireland
football final in 1995. It wasn't always easy, as Jason had to cope
with racist abuse from an early age. After his inspiring playing
career, Jason would go on to become a trusted assistant for Jim
Gavin during Dublin's five-in-a-row run. Discover how a boy from
the Dublin northside found strength in his difference to become a
gaelic football great.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Cora Staunton is an elite sportswoman: winner of four All-Irelands,
11 All-Stars and five Club All-Irelands. She is a trailblazer in
the Australian Football League, and a hero in her native Mayo for
her gaelic football skills. But it's been a long and eventful road
for Cora. When she was young, she was small for her age, and had to
prove herself at every level: to the boys in her club, to the Mayo
selectors who took a chance on her as a teenager, but most
importantly to herself. From Croke Park to the stadiums of Sydney,
Cora has proved herself to be a master of the game. This is the
story of how a young football-mad girl became a living legend. A
story of female empowerment for younger readers.
![The Choice (Paperback): Philly Mcmahon](//media.loot.co.za/images/x80/146054148464179215.jpg) |
The Choice
(Paperback)
Philly Mcmahon; As told to Niall Kelly
bundle available
|
R332
R277
Discovery Miles 2 770
Save R55 (17%)
|
Ships in 9 - 15 working days
|
|
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
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
The Gaelic footballer who's won nearly every prize in the game:
Including 5 All-Irelands & 8 All-Stars. 'You need a boot to
kick and hands and shoulders to mark your opposition. But without a
sharp brain, you'll never make it as a Kerry footballer.' Follow
Colm from his days as a tiny, freckle-faced kid - the youngest of
seven in a GAA-mad family from Killarney - all the way to Croke
Park, where he won five All-Ireland titles. This is the story of
how a boy who everyone said wasn't big enough or strong enough to
wear the green and gold jersey of Kerry became one of the greatest
Gaelic footballers of all time.
Based on the popular Facebook page, which regularly reaches over
500,000 people, The Rory's Stories Guide to the GAA sends up a
certain kind of lad obsessed with the GAA calendar, his local club
and county team above everything else. This hilarious guide to the
GAA covers it all: bleep tests; post-game hangovers; forty-way
WhatsApp conversations; that lad always doing his hamstring;
fair-weather Dub supporters; old men who've umpired every parish
game since the Civil War; Marty Morrissey's forehead; ham
sandwiches; dirty corner-backs; more hangovers; impenetrable Kerry
accents; weight training followed by ten pints; pretending to
understand tactics; lobbing it up to the big lad; prima donna
corner forwards... Infinitely recognisable and laugh-out-loud
funny, it's the perfect gift for GAA fans. 'A must read for all GAA
fans' - Steven McDonnell, former Armagh Footballer 'Haven't put
this book down all evening' -Marc O Se, Kerry Footballer
|
You may like...
Game Changer
Cora Staunton
Paperback
(1)
R329
R274
Discovery Miles 2 740
|