101 Extraordinary GAA Occasions


Book Description

This delightful book will be enjoyed and cherished by GAA fans old and young. - Dermot Earley Gaelic Games have a unique capacity to lift the spirits but they also have created many extraordinary moments. In the GAA world the truth is stranger than fiction and often funnier. This book celebrates the extraordinary moments in the GAA's long and distinguished history. Representing all counties, it features Gaelic football, hurling, ladies' football and camogie. Read about the star player who grabbed Ger Cunningham's balls; Seán Boylan's experience in the maternity ward; what happened when Pat Spillane took the DART; Ger Loughnane and the night life in Amsterdam; Paidí Ó'Sé and the tractor; the Galway icon who did not wear his socks; the Meath legend's love affair; Clare's sex scandal; the tender affection to a top pundit; the man who silenced Joe Brolly; the Dublin star who runs like a chicken; Garret Fitzgerald's flirtation with hurling; Jack Lynch's inspiration; and the GAA and Lady Diana. An uplifting must-read for all sports fans and lovers of Gaelic Games.




Great GAA Rivalries


Book Description

Fans always answer in the affirmative when their team asks: Will you still love me tomorrow? But everyone knows that it's the passion and energy of rivalries that fuel true fandom. These intense, dramatic rivlaries are what give the Gaelic Games their powerful draw. With exclusive interviews with a veritable Who's Who of the Gaelic Games, here are shocking insights into the controversies, epic matches and thrilling events on and off the field that such rivalries have generated. This book, written with the intimate knowledge of an insider, recalls incidents thathave never before come to public attention. Full of arresting anecdotes, it captures the unique pride of Ireland's greatest national treasures: Gaelic football, hurling, women's football and camogie.




100 Extraordinary GAA Occasions


Book Description

A morale-boosting collection of the most unforgettable occasions in the history of GAA, across all counties and Gaelic Games.




Extraordinary GAA People


Book Description

The Gaelic Games has been shaped by great players. Since its inception, special players have made hearts soar with daring moves, acheived sporting glory and created everlasting memories. Now Extraordinary GAA People celebrates the achievements 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 , Extraordinary GAA People is a roster of legendary Gaelic Games icons, with stars from all 32 counties represented, giving a unique and fascinating account of the greatest heroes and legends of the games.




100 GAA Greats


Book Description

In 100 GAA Greats, John Scally celebrates the most significant players Gaelic games have brought us in their 125-year history. He selects those footballers, hurlers, managers and camogie players who have lit up Irish sport, becoming national treasures in the process, and highlights their remarkable skills. Amongst those included in this unique who's who of the sport are Christy Ring, Mick O'Connell, Nicky Rackard, Mick Mackey, John Joe O'Reilly, Nicky English, Mickey Harte, Kevin Moran, Enda Colleran, D.J. Carey, Angela Downey, Ger Loughnane, John O'Mahony, Justin McCarthy, Colm O'Rourke, Matt Connor and Liam Griffin. Many of the profiles featured in the book are based on exclusive interviews with the stars themselves, as well as with some of their competitors. The entries offer candid insights into the many pivotal events, major controversies, epic matches and thrilling contests to have occurred during the GAA's existence. Laced with humour and packed with entertaining anecdotes, 100 GAA Greats pulsates with insider's knowledge. It will inform, entertain, enlighten, amuse and spark debate, and is a must for all GAA fans.




The GAA and the War of Independence


Book Description

Founded in 1884 to promote Irish identity and revive the traditional sports of hurling, football and handball, the GAA enjoyed an intimate relationship with the nationalist movement from the turn of the twentieth century onwards. In 1914, the Irish Volunteers drilled with hurley sticks in the absence of rifles; after the 1916 Rising many of those interned by the British were GAA members; and on 21 November 1920, a Gaelic football match between Dublin and Tipperary at Croke Park was interrupted by a raid by British crown forces that left fourteen dead in Ireland's first 'Bloody Sunday'. With affection and authority, Tim Pat Coogan traces the stirring story of an institution which, from modest beginnings as a grass-roots sporting organisation, has grown into a cornerstone of Irish society both North and South. The Gaelic Athletic Association is, Coogan argues, the most socially valuable organisation in Ireland, whose ideal of voluntarism has contributed to a distinctive sense of national identity that flourishes wherever green is worn.




The Players' Advice


Book Description

Do you play GAA? Do you feel there's something missing from your game? Do you want to improve as a player and athlete? The Players' Advice is a compilation of guidance aimed at you, the player, to give you the tools and disciplines to improve and excel in your code. With advice from over 100 of the top footballers, hurlers and camogie players in a range of areas such as gym, nutrition, routine, lifestyle, skill development, mindset and preparation. Features players from goalkeeper to full forward from every code, and from nearly every county in Ireland. Advice and tips cover a broad range of areas - from nutrition to rest days to a player's mental attitude to training and match days. Selected images throughout.




Game Changer


Book Description

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.




The People's Games


Book Description

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.




My Miracle Cure


Book Description

'I stood up. A miracle had happened. I could walk. It was as if I was born again.' With a heart full of prayer, Marion Carroll journeyed to Knock in the west of Ireland. For 17 years, Multiple Sclerosis had ravaged her body so utterly that this reluctant pilgrim travelled on a stretcher. Then, at the Mass, an unimaginable miracle. Marion rose, pain-free, to walk, talk and see once more. Thanks to this wondrous blessing, Marion has transformed - in her 'own small way' - the lives of countless others. Her ministries share her rock-like faith and devotion to God. They testify to the power of ordinary people to listen, to care, to inspire. Nearly 30 years later, the Catholic Church officially recognised Marion's cure as a proclaimed miracle. Here, with warmth, grace, humility - and down-to-earth Irish humour - she tells of her life 'before' and 'after'. Marion's powerful, uplifting story is unique. It shines a light on love, hope and a remarkable relationship with God.