gaaboard.com

GAA Discussion => GAA Discussion => Topic started by: Jinxy on August 17, 2011, 12:13:06 PM

Title: GAA books
Post by: Jinxy on August 17, 2011, 12:13:06 PM
There may be an existing thread on this but I'm just wondering what decent books people have read recently.
I'm halfway through 'The Club' by Christy O'Connor and I have to say after hearing so much about it, it is a massive disappointment.
I read 'Out of our skins' the week before I started O'Connors book and it is in a different league altogether.
And I'm not saying that because it was about the Meath team I loved, I just thought it was a phenomenally well written book and Hayes had a lot of interesting stuff to say.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: the Deel Rover on August 17, 2011, 12:18:16 PM
have ya finished with the book Jinxy ?




































if so stick it in the buy and sell thread on the main discussion baord






Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Jinxy on August 17, 2011, 12:22:46 PM
Actually that just reminded me.
Is Keith Duggans book on Mayo football any good?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: the Deel Rover on August 17, 2011, 12:26:52 PM
Quote from: Jinxy on August 17, 2011, 12:22:46 PM
Actually that just reminded me.
Is Keith Duggans book on Mayo football any good?

it will be when he finishes it
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: irunthev on August 17, 2011, 12:28:58 PM
Quote from: Jinxy on August 17, 2011, 12:22:46 PM
Actually that just reminded me.
Is Keith Duggans book on Mayo football any good?

House of Pain is a really good read too. Very different approach to analysing the history of a county. It altered my view of Mayo football. Some great, if somewhat tragic stories in there, stuff that must people outside of Mayo wouldn't be aware of. I'd thoroughly recommend it. Mind you, Duggan seldom disappoints.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: haze on August 17, 2011, 12:32:31 PM
Read Kings of September by Michael Foley for a second time last week and think it's the best GAA book I've come across.

I liked The Club but was definitely over rated

Has anyone read Working on a Dream by Damien Lawlor?

Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Jinxy on August 17, 2011, 12:33:54 PM
I just found with O'Connors book, I didn't care if they won or lost these games that were supposed to be hugely important. The whole thing felt a bit hollow and also a lot of the things that were supposedly said just didn't sound right to me. I've been in plenty of dressing rooms and I know how lads talk to each other.
Maybe he just tidied up the language but for all the talk about passion etc. the whole thing just leaves me cold.
The fact that, aside from the Clare players, I know nothing about these lads might be a factor.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Stevie g 8 on August 17, 2011, 12:40:44 PM
ye the book on the waterford footballers "working on a dream" is another great read
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: haze on August 17, 2011, 01:42:52 PM
Quote from: Jinxy on August 17, 2011, 12:33:54 PM
I just found with O'Connors book, I didn't care if they won or lost these games that were supposed to be hugely important. The whole thing felt a bit hollow and also a lot of the things that were supposedly said just didn't sound right to me. I've been in plenty of dressing rooms and I know how lads talk to each other.
Maybe he just tidied up the language but for all the talk about passion etc. the whole thing just leaves me cold.
The fact that, aside from the Clare players, I know nothing about these lads might be a factor.





I liked it mainly because of it's originality rather than the content. I remember about half way through I lost all interest for a few chapters and then it picked up again towards the end. Coming from a very small club I did find it interesting to see alot of the same themes and crisis occuring in such a big club which surprised me a bit. The apparent disconnect between the younger and older generation of players was also an interesting theme which I think alot of GAA club teams suffer from.
Though as you said not knowing the majority of the central charachters does not help at times. Having said all that I would recommend it as a good read once the reader is does not buy into all the hyperbole that went with the books publication

Christly's other book Last Man Standing is better I think
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Stevie g 8 on August 17, 2011, 02:26:58 PM
liam dunne,s book was another read
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Jinxy on August 17, 2011, 02:34:12 PM
Colm O'Rourkes book wasn't too bad if I remember right.
It was ages ago I read it though.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: lynchbhoy on August 17, 2011, 02:52:58 PM
Pat spillanes first book was good. second one was rubbish.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: AhJaysusRef on August 17, 2011, 03:08:21 PM
I expected a lot from O'Connors book but I felt it was a let down. Full of people using clichés to psyche each other up before games that have no impact whatsoever on players performance. He was trying to paint a picture of Doora-Barefields season being make or break, life changing for the people involved but the way it came across was the players didn't really care and he was only fooling himself believing that he was on the cusp of the something amazing.

Me interest in the book waned when he described being out in Coppers, sober, when the guy Conny came over and he was thinking about ignoring him because Conny was drunk. At that moment I got the impression that he was one of the dry ones who stand in the corner watching and look down on people because they have had a few drinks and he is above it all, rather than not go to a nighclub where he was likely to find himself in such a situation.

Just my opinion
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Stevie g 8 on August 17, 2011, 04:55:43 PM
cody,s book was poor for a man that you,d imagine came across a lot of ego,s etc. of players.He sidestepped a lot of issues and ovbiously didn,t want to offend anyone
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Jinxy on August 17, 2011, 05:15:44 PM
Quote from: AhJaysusRef on August 17, 2011, 03:08:21 PM
I expected a lot from O'Connors book but I felt it was a let down. Full of people using clichés to psyche each other up before games that have no impact whatsoever on players performance. He was trying to paint a picture of Doora-Barefields season being make or break, life changing for the people involved but the way it came across was the players didn't really care and he was only fooling himself believing that he was on the cusp of the something amazing.

Me interest in the book waned when he described being out in Coppers, sober, when the guy Conny came over and he was thinking about ignoring him because Conny was drunk. At that moment I got the impression that he was one of the dry ones who stand in the corner watching and look down on people because they have had a few drinks and he is above it all, rather than not go to a nighclub where he was likely to find himself in such a situation.

Just my opinion

Yeah that really annoyed me too.
It was real "Lets do it for x, y and z" stuff before every game.
Then half of them wouldn't show up for training the next Tuesday.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Kerry Mike on August 17, 2011, 05:58:50 PM
36 and Counting by one of our own boardies is the best Kerry GAA book and I'm not just saying that cause I had a small input into the cover of it. I think its time to update it to 37 and......
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: 5 Sams on August 17, 2011, 09:15:11 PM
None of ye have mentioned anything by Tom Humphries and I'm sure you all have your reasons...but his book on the Dublin V Kerry rivalry is as good as anything thing I have ever read. Also not exclusively GAA but 'Lap Top Dancing and the Nanny Goat Mambo' is top class stuff.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Kerry Mike on August 17, 2011, 09:22:52 PM
The Kerry v Dublin book was a cracker. What's the story with TH he is totally out of the scene
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Orangemac on August 17, 2011, 11:42:56 PM
Quote from: haze on August 17, 2011, 12:32:31 PM
Read Kings of September by Michael Foley for a second time last week and think it's the best GAA book I've come across.

I liked The Club but was definitely over rated

Has anyone read Working on a Dream by Damien Lawlor?
Would agree that Kings of September is a fabulous read. Really gives a sense of the build up to the game from both sides. You would feel like it was 1982 reading it.

There was another book by Keith Duggan a few years ago - The Lifelong season with different chapters devoted to different players/strands of the GAA. Great chapters on Frank McGuigan and Brian McEniff.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Jinxy on August 17, 2011, 11:46:56 PM
Quote from: 5 Sams on August 17, 2011, 09:15:11 PM
None of ye have mentioned anything by Tom Humphries and I'm sure you all have your reasons...but his book on the Dublin V Kerry rivalry is as good as anything thing I have ever read. Also not exclusively GAA but 'Lap Top Dancing and the Nanny Goat Mambo' is top class stuff.

Yeah I have that and 'Booked'.
Some really great stuff in them.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Donnellys Hollow on August 18, 2011, 12:40:36 AM
Christy O'Connor's book on hurling goalkeepers is probably the best GAA book I've read.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Jinxy on August 18, 2011, 11:43:57 AM
Have there been any Kildare GAA books DH?
Can't wait for Geezers one.  ;D
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Hashtag on August 18, 2011, 11:57:20 AM
Currently reading 'I am Number 4'. Much to my disappointment it has nothing to do with Ricey McMenamin  :-\
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: HowAreYeGettinOn on August 18, 2011, 04:31:54 PM
Quote from: Orangemac on August 17, 2011, 11:42:56 PM
Quote from: haze on August 17, 2011, 12:32:31 PM
Read Kings of September by Michael Foley for a second time last week and think it's the best GAA book I've come across.

I liked The Club but was definitely over rated

Has anyone read Working on a Dream by Damien Lawlor?
Would agree that Kings of September is a fabulous read. Really gives a sense of the build up to the game from both sides. You would feel like it was 1982 reading it.

There was another book by Keith Duggan a few years ago - The Lifelong season with different chapters devoted to different players/strands of the GAA. Great chapters on Frank McGuigan and Brian McEniff.

+1 - Duggan is just a class act. The stuff on Leslie McGettigan, St Jarlath's etc. is excellent too.

Don't think anybody has given a shout to 'Hurling : The Revolution Years' by Denis Walsh yet. Tremendous read imo.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: ONeill on August 31, 2011, 10:02:59 PM
Did a GAA search on Amazon for books coming out between now and Christmas.

The GAA County by County - http://www.amazon.co.uk/GAA-County-Mike-Cronin/dp/1848891288/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314823802&sr=1-12

100 GAA Greats - http://www.amazon.co.uk/100-GAA-Greats-Christie-Canning/dp/1845967275/ref=sr_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314823961&sr=1-13

This Is Our Year - http://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Our-Year-Football-Championship/dp/0955029856/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314824154&sr=1-1

Definitely interested in the first one - thought I'd seen the second one before - the third one I'm told is from the point of view of Kevin Cassidy, Dick Clerkin, Ryan McMenamin, Stevie McDonnell, Barry Owens, Mickey Conlan and a couple of others on their own 2011 intercounty experiences. A great present for Sheehy and KM.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: lemallon on August 31, 2011, 10:50:51 PM
Hard to beat Jack O Connors biography.  Despite the chip on his shoulder towards the 1970's team and his inability to endure any criticism from them I thought it was a great insight into the Kerry psyche and really showed him to be a tremendous thinker on the game.  Alsoshowed no matter how successful a team is there is always dressing room problems.  Eg You'd never have believed Tom O Sullivan to be a player with disciplianry issues but they were highlighted here.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: heffo on August 31, 2011, 11:40:00 PM
Quote from: Kerry Mike on August 17, 2011, 09:22:52 PM
What's the story with TH he is totally out of the scene

Currently in IC in St James post serious heart attack
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Orior on September 01, 2011, 12:22:38 AM
I saw Jim McGuiness carrying this book

Building Strong Defences (http://www.amazon.com/Fences-Gates-Walls-Design-Build/dp/0895861895/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314832824&sr=1-7)
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: tyroneman on September 01, 2011, 12:53:36 PM
What was the name of the book where the author wrote about following Dublin for a season ( think it was 2008)??
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Tony Baloney on September 01, 2011, 12:58:06 PM
Quote from: tyroneman on September 01, 2011, 12:53:36 PM
What was the name of the book where the author wrote about following Dublin for a season ( think it was 2008)??
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Year-Dubs-Daire-Whelan/dp/0717142663 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Year-Dubs-Daire-Whelan/dp/0717142663)

You're welcome.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Canalman on September 01, 2011, 01:01:17 PM
Quote from: lemallon on August 31, 2011, 10:50:51 PM
Hard to beat Jack O Connors biography.  Despite the chip on his shoulder towards the 1970's team and his inability to endure any criticism from them I thought it was a great insight into the Kerry psyche and really showed him to be a tremendous thinker on the game.  Alsoshowed no matter how successful a team is there is always dressing room problems.  Eg You'd never have believed Tom O Sullivan to be a player with disciplianry issues but they were highlighted here.

He had a chapter in it about how he would have psyched Dublin out of it if they had beaten Mayo in THAT semi final. Must ferret the book out and read that chapter again.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: tyroneman on September 01, 2011, 07:32:38 PM
Cheers Tony.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Mickey Linden on September 01, 2011, 10:36:27 PM
There was a book a few years ago, I think it was by Eamon sweeney? Where he went round the country visiting different Gaa strongholds and having the craic. any one mind the name?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: commonman on September 01, 2011, 10:56:59 PM
Eamon Sweeney's book was Road to Croker.

My top 4 GAA books

Dublin V Kerry
Out of our Skins
Kings of September
House of Pain

for me 'the club' is not in that league at all
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Tony Baloney on September 01, 2011, 11:07:51 PM
Anyone read Tony Griffin's book 'Screaming at the Sky'?

Will also get the books by Walsh and Foley on the Christmas list if anyone from my immediate family are reading this. Like my brother.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Orangemac on September 01, 2011, 11:54:10 PM
Was there talk of McGeeney having a book out soon? Would be interesting, particularly his reaction to being taken off in 2005.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: tyroneman on September 02, 2011, 02:24:44 PM
Screaming at the sky was a good read however I would file it next to 'out of our skins' in that some of the introspection could go on a wee bit.

Have to admire his dedication though to do that cycle ride.

Found Hartes first book better than the second.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Jinxy on September 02, 2011, 02:30:41 PM
I'd have to say Out of our Skins is one of the best sports books I've read, let alone one of the best GAA books.
It's incredibly honest with none of the usual cliches about passion, teamwork, doing it for the jersey etc.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: NP 76 on September 02, 2011, 02:31:38 PM
Just finished the Kerry Dublin book really good read . I enjoyed Codys book more than Hartes 2nd one read them both around the same time . Also thought that one about Kerry Princes Of Pigskin was excellent
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: 5 Sams on September 02, 2011, 10:32:53 PM
Quote from: Mickey Linden on September 01, 2011, 10:36:27 PM
There was a book a few years ago, I think it was by Eamon sweeney? Where he went round the country visiting different Gaa strongholds and having the craic. any one mind the name?

You should know Mickey...you were in it ;) :D
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Tony Baloney on September 02, 2011, 11:03:45 PM
Quote from: Jinxy on September 02, 2011, 02:30:41 PM
I'd have to say Out of our Skins is one of the best sports books I've read, let alone one of the best GAA books.
It's incredibly honest with none of the usual cliches about passion, teamwork, doing it for the jersey etc.
Maybe give it a lash. Cheers.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Farneylawd2011 on September 04, 2011, 10:10:25 PM
what is pat spillane second book called ??
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Jinxy on September 04, 2011, 10:43:58 PM
'Gaelic football was much better in my day'.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Hardy on September 04, 2011, 11:46:57 PM
Quote from: Farneylawd2011 on September 04, 2011, 10:10:25 PM
what is pat spillane second book called ??

I don't think he ever finished "Ann and Barry".
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Farneylawd2011 on September 08, 2011, 07:12:38 PM
All of Micheal O Muircheataigh books.
Micky Harte 2 books.
Micheal O Heir
Oisin McConville
Are my favourite.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: BennyCake on September 09, 2011, 02:30:22 PM
Kerry v Dublin was a good read.  Loved the bit about Micko, and him being an auld rogue.  He always went to a match with one football, came home with two  :D

I must take a stab at Jack O'Connor's book sometime, what with him criticising us Northerners and all.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Farneylawd2011 on September 10, 2011, 10:05:21 AM
See Big Joe is gonna publish his book.

http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=154807 (http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=154807)
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: ONeill on October 14, 2011, 11:25:05 AM
Shameless plug for a man I used to owe money to.

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51IrtEdKAsL._SS500_.jpg)


http://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Our-Year-Football-Championship/dp/0955029856/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318587650&sr=1-1
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: cornafean on October 14, 2011, 12:49:34 PM
Looking forward bigtime to Declan's book.

The title is a bit unfortunate though, for a Fermanagh supporter in 2011 ;)
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: heffo on October 14, 2011, 01:59:31 PM
Quote from: ONeill on October 14, 2011, 11:25:05 AM
Shameless plug for a man I used to owe money to.

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51IrtEdKAsL._SS500_.jpg)


http://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Our-Year-Football-Championship/dp/0955029856/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318587650&sr=1-1

It's just Ulster championship yeah? That'll be a great read so.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: ONeill on October 14, 2011, 06:26:05 PM
It chronicles the intercounty season from the individual persepctives of Paddy Cunningham, Stevie McDonnell, Val Andrews, Aidan Carr, Mickey Conlan, Kevin Cassidy, Barry Owens, Dick Clerkin and Ryan McMenamin with a few eye-opening revelations from each protagonist. Cassidy's story will be some read.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Milltown Row2 on October 15, 2011, 09:15:24 PM
Does Paddy talk about the wee dance he does before hitting the frees? I'd love to hear about that  :P
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: rrhf on October 15, 2011, 09:23:48 PM
Big dick getting some   attention.  Not my kinda book oneill.

Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: ONeill on October 15, 2011, 10:18:30 PM
Quote from: Milltown Row2 on October 15, 2011, 09:15:24 PM
Does Paddy talk about the wee dance he does before hitting the frees? I'd love to hear about that  :P

Straight after the Galls tapping up chapter.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: ONeill on October 15, 2011, 10:19:16 PM
Quote from: rrhf on October 15, 2011, 09:23:48 PM
Big dick getting some   attention.  Not my kinda book oneill.

You have a gripe with Big Dick?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Milltown Row2 on October 15, 2011, 10:19:56 PM
Always on cue O'Neil, always
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: ONeill on October 15, 2011, 10:40:00 PM
Big Joe's book.

Extract.


Tyrone player mocked Marsden after wrongful dismissal in 2003 final
By Martin Breheny/Kernan

I've seen a lot on football fields and I have to say that nothing ever annoyed or frustrated me more than what happened to Diarmaid Marsden in the 2003 All-Ireland final. I'll say it straight -- his dismissal against Tyrone cost Armagh the title.

I haven't a doubt that if Diarmaid had been there over that crucial finishing stretch, Armagh would have won the two-in-a-row. Now, if he had done something that warranted a dismissal we could live with it.

Do the crime, do the time and all that.

In this case, there was no crime but plenty of time. Well, certainly enough to sway what had been a tight, tense game where inches were always going to be crucial. Instead of having Diarmaid's intelligent presence on the run-in, we were down to 14 men after he had been sent off by referee Brian White.

Tyrone's Philip Jordan ran at Diarmaid, who instinctively put up his arm in self-defence. Jordan went down as if he'd been hit by a crowbar, the Tyrone crowd starting baying and suddenly Diarmaid was in the referee's firing line.

If White saw the incident clearly, I have no idea how he could have sent Diarmaid off on a straight red card, which implied he had been guilty of striking. Was the ref serious? A guy is running straight at you and you're supposed to stand there with your hands down by your sides and take what's coming?

I was disgusted by the actions of at least one Tyrone player who mockingly clapped Diarmaid off the pitch. There's an honour among players -- or at least there should be -- and to see a man gloating at an opponent's bad luck in an All-Ireland final is something I could never understand. It's not the GAA where I was brought up or one I ever want to be part of.

Diarmaid's dismissal meant he would miss the first game of the 2004 championship and placed a black mark against his name which had to be challenged.

We were furious that he had been wronged. Diarmaid was conscious that, among other things, his little girl, Lara, who was too young to understand at the time, might ask him in years to come why was he sent off in an All-Ireland final. He could explain as much as he wanted that it was an injustice, but the record books would show otherwise unless he had his name cleared.

You would have thought that the Games Administration Committee might have decided in favour of Diarmaid on the basis of video evidence. But, no, he was suspended and we had no option but to set about having it overturned. The final port of call in that frustrating process was Central Council and, to their credit, they acknowledged that an injustice had been done. The suspension was struck out and while it was of no value to us or Diarmaid in footballing terms, it at least cleared a good man's name.

Irish Independent
Saturday October 15 2011



Facing up to bankruptcy and end of my Tribal tribulations
A wise man once said: "There's no tow bar on a hearse." How right he was. I suppose we all tend to lose sight of that from time to time, but it's one of the truest sayings of all.

We all look back at particular years in our lives and analyse them. You could say they fall roughly into three categories: the great years, the tricky years, and the tough years you're glad are over. All you can hope for is that the first outweighs the others. For me, the year 2010 will always be, very definitely, lodged in the third category.

Think of September, and you think of All-Ireland finals. When you're managing a county that has reasonable prospects of making serious progress in the championship, you're in an exciting place.

So, when I took over as Galway manager in September 2009, I felt that, with a bit of luck, we could be in Croke Park for the All-Ireland final a year later. Galway is that sort of county -- as they showed in 1998 and 2001 -- when they get a run going, they grow with the challenge.

There's no point in taking on a job unless you aim to make it work, so my ambitions were at their very highest when I started working with Galway. Who knew what the future held for us? Maybe, September 2010 would be a memorable month for Galway and me.

It wasn't.

Some weeks earlier, I had quit Galway, having been left with no option but to resign after being told that I would have to make changes to my back-room team. I couldn't accept that interference, and left.

It was all very disappointing but it certainly wasn't the only setback I had to deal with at that time. Away from football, I was staring at a deep and personal crisis.

It had been looming for a long time but there's still something chilling about turning on the television to watch the news and seeing your face on the screen, accompanied by a report that you've been declared bankrupt.

There isn't much to laugh at when you're hit with something as traumatic as bankruptcy, but it was comical how the banks seemed to think that I had salted away millions from my days in management. Maybe some of the guys in these banks can't differentiate between Alex Ferguson and the manager of a Gaelic football team, but they definitely thought that management had made me wealthy. It took me a good while to convince the banks that my football activities hadn't made me a cross between Bill Gates and Donald Trump.

I don't want to give the impression that I'm solely blaming the banks for our financial crash. We went in with our eyes open, the same as many others, north and south. People will say that those who went into property were greedy, but it's not that simple.

It was a very natural fit for us as we were already in the estate agency, mortgage, letting, insurance and property businesses. I had started it all off as a small insurance business in the early 1990s. I built up a good business, developed it further over the years and, in due course, my sons Stephen and Aaron joined me. With the lads aboard, it was a chance to expand further, which we did.

I loved the idea of having a business that could provide jobs for my family, all the more since we were running it from an office attached to our house in our hometown of Crossmaglen. To me, it was all about providing security for my wife and five sons, so it seemed logical to expand the business into property at a time when it was very much the thing to do. It worked well for a few years but, unfortunately, we were in too deep when the crash came.

I'm prepared to take responsibility for what happened but, as so many others in our situation discovered, the banks don't want to know you when things start going wrong.

By the time the bankruptcy was formally announced, I had already left Galway. My departure from the Tribesmen is another reason I won't recall much of 2010 with any great fondness.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy my spell in Galway, but I left with a sense of frustration that it was unfinished business. Looking back at my Galway experience, a number of things strike me. For a start, we were desperately unlucky with injuries.

There was also a problem with a lack of consistency. When we played well, it was very good but the bad periods could be terrible. I got a shock in the opening league game against Mayo in Castlebar. I had heard so much about the famous Galway-Mayo rivalry that I was looking forward to a real battle, but it didn't happen. Mayo won easily and I was really disappointed by the lack of mental toughness Galway showed that day.

It's all very well being a skilful side, but you need more than that. Afterwards, I was accused of trying to turn Galway into Armagh replicas which, of course, wasn't true. However, I did want to make them harder in certain respects. I remember a Galway man tapping me on the shoulder after the 2004 National League final where Kerry had just beaten Galway by a point and saying, "Joe, that's how football should be played."

It was, undoubtedly, an enjoyable game to watch. However, there was very little close marking and no real intensity. Sure, there were plenty of great skills on display but they don't always win games.

My Galway friend seemed happy to have contributed to a game like that, even if they lost. I also presumed the Galway supporter was implying something about how Armagh played so I couldn't resist reminding him what had just happened. I turned around and countered, "Yeah, but ye lost."

A few weeks after Wexford knocked Galway out of the 2010 championship, I met John Joe Holleran (football board chairman), Seamus O'Grady (secretary) and Milo Costello (treasurer) for a review and I came away believing that everything was in place for another year. I mentioned some changes that I wanted to make and I thought I had agreement on them.

But then I got a call from John Joe and he told me that, while they wanted me to continue, I would have to change my back-room team. I took that to mean I would have to get rid of John McCloskey as trainer and Paul Hatton as strength and conditioning coach, something I was not prepared to do.

Once I was prevented from appointing the people I felt would do the best job, then I had no option but to resign. I was, after all, bringing these people in for the good of Galway football.

In hindsight, perhaps some of the changes I suggested at the meeting didn't go down all that well. Maybe those suggestions caused a change of heart between the meeting and the phone call to tell me that I would have to alter my back-room team.

I was disappointed my tenure ended the way it did, but I wouldn't have a bad word said against any of the players or indeed most of the people I dealt with in Galway. I was just sorry that I couldn't take them where they were trying to go. I'm also sorry that we didn't get a chance to continue working together.

However, one thing that surprises me is that, despite the unsettling effect on Galway of changing manager after just one season, they did the same thing again this year and removed Tomas O Flatharta.

Why Galway keep doing this is beyond me. Players need stability and changing manager every year makes no sense. It's no longer my concern but I feel sorry for the Galway players, who I still believe are an excellent group with the potential to be very competitive at the highest level.

They aren't being given the best chance to do themselves justice. For their sake, I hope the decision-makers recognise that what happened over the last two seasons was bad for Galway football.

As for me, well, things didn't work out. But I shook hands on the way in and again on the way out, which is as it should be.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Orangemac on October 16, 2011, 01:15:17 AM
Obviously the sending off was harsh but it didn't cost Armagh the game. We had been hanging on to Tyrone's coat tails the whole game mainly due to them missing several goal chances and I don't think the sending off was any kind of turning point

If Stevie McDonnell had scored that goal at that stage of the game then we may have won as it would have left Tyrone shell shocked with minutes to go.

Will be interesting to read Joe's take on the 2005 sf and the substitution of McGeeney in particular.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: tyroneman on October 16, 2011, 04:47:09 PM
QuoteThe final port of call in that frustrating process was Central Council and, to their credit, they acknowledged that an injustice had been done. The suspension was struck out and while it was of no value to us or Diarmaid in footballing terms, it at least cleared a good man's name.

This is the one indecent that will run and run for generations. Every Armagh fella I know thinks this was an injustice of the highest order. Every Tyrone fella, less so.......

From what I remember it was overturned on a technicality, not on any substantive merit. Raise your hands and put them into an opponents face - you go, self defence or not, them's the rules, even if a fella is running at you (which Jordan did, no argument).

Marsden was a great footballer and not (that I can recall) especially dirty in any way, shape or form but he broke the rules and got punished for it. End of.

Rule 5.1: To strike or attempt to strike an opponent with arm, elbow, hand or knee
Rule 5.3: To behave in any way which is dangerous to an opponent

Either of those 2 applied.

QuoteI haven't a doubt that if Diarmaid had been there over that crucial finishing stretch, Armagh would have won the two-in-a-row

Tyrone were easily the better team up to the sending off. In fact that incident seemed to galvanise Armagh and they put up more of a show after it than before.

Think it will be a fascinating book though and like Orangemac I will be very interested to hear Joe's thoughts on taking Geezer off in 2005, which effectively gave Sean C the freedom of the pitch.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Orchardman on October 16, 2011, 06:55:19 PM
Tyrone man, dont give us your rubbish about letter of the law etc, it was brutal was phily jordan did, marsden should never have been sent off. Besides that, i dont agree we would have won with him on the field. I thought it was a shite final and we wer the worst team on the day. On the other hand, 05 is the one that definately got away.....

regarding the geezer decision, it was already published in yesterdays indo, along with the other two pieces that have been posted here earlier. Nothing to chat about really, quite boring and too much has been made of it, here it is:


Management is about making decisions. It's about backing your judgment and living with the consequences.

It's about being your own person, although not to the extent that you ignore what everybody else says. Indeed, as far as team selection or changes in Armagh were concerned, I never made a decision without discussing it with Paul Grimley, John McCloskey and John Rafferty, when he came on board. That's why they were there.

One of the hardest calls I had to make during a game was in the 2005 All-Ireland semi-final against Tyrone. I took off Kieran McGeeney after 63 minutes and sent in Enda McNulty, a decision that I knew would have repercussions if we lost.

'Geezer' was more than just our captain, he was very much the on-field leader, the enforcer who got things done. The Armagh public loved him, his colleagues looked up to him and I trusted him implicitly, both as a player and as a man.

It was against that background that I found it very difficult to take him off. As it happened, we lost the semi-final by a point which, inevitably, left me open to accusations of getting it badly wrong.

I know that Kieran was very put out about it, which was understandable. I got some stick for taking him off from some sections of the media and the Armagh supporters, but I still maintain it was the right thing to do. I have no regrets about it and, having looked back, I remain convinced that it certainly wasn't the reason we lost that game.

It was claimed afterwards -- by some people who wanted to make mischief -- that it was a decision I took on my own without reference to Paul Grimley and John McCloskey, but nothing could be further from the truth. Although the call was, ultimately, down to me, they were both heavily involved in the decision.

The balance of power in that game had see-sawed over and back all afternoon, Tyrone making much of the running with us coming back at them. Indeed, we took the lead for the first time in the 58th minute.

However, there was something else going on which was of concern to us. 'Geezer' hadn't been in the game for quite some time and certainly wasn't making the impact that we needed at that stage. I spoke to John and Paul to see what they thought.

After our discussions, I felt it would be best to wait a few minutes and see how things developed.

Besides, other things were happening which needed attention. Andy Mallon was beginning to have some problems with Peter Canavan so we needed to address that. Enda McNulty, who was sitting on the bench and eager for action, had a good record against Canavan so putting him into the full-back line and releasing Andy to the half-back line looked a decent option.

'Geezer' still hadn't got into the game, so I went back to speak to Paul and John.

"Things haven't changed lads ... what should we do about it?"

We talked for a little while about bringing Enda into the full-back line, switching out Andy and taking off 'Geezer'. Andy had plenty of pace which he could use to our advantage from the half-back line.

"Get Enda ready," I told John.

When we lost, it was claimed in some quarters that taking 'Geezer' off had cost us the game. I expected that people might make that connection but I don't believe it to be true. Lots of great players have been taken off over the years and, while it's always a tough decision to make, that's what management are there for.

Kieran has been managing Kildare for the past few years and now knows how lonely and difficult a role it can be. I'm sure he will be in management for a long time to come and will probably find himself faced with the sort of decision I had to take in that 2005 All-Ireland semi-final.

What's more, it will hurt him just as much as it hurt me when I took him off that day.

All I can say is that it was done with the right intentions.

Even Mickey Harte acknowledged there was method in what I was doing and pointed out in his autobiography that it would have been regarded as a masterstroke if we had won. But we didn't, so I took the flak.

- Martin Breheny/Joe Kernan

Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: tyroneman on October 16, 2011, 07:38:36 PM
QuoteTyrone man, dont give us your rubbish about letter of the law etc, it was brutal was phily jordan did, marsden should never have been sent off.

Like I say, it's the one that will run and run.

Jordan didn't cover himself in glory but Marsden raised his hands, made contact and the ref applied the rules of the game, we will prob never agree on this one.

If I was an Armagh supporter I would prob take your viewpoint though  ;)

Fair point made about 2005 - if Armagh had won, Joe taking off Geezer would have been hailed as genius. Also very true that Peter struggled big time against Enda McNulty (I think he only ever managed 1 or 2 points off him in his career - could be wrong but don't think so?)

I think it was also clear whoever won that day was going to take the final.

All in all a very good manager who did what no-one else in Armagh had managed and should always be remembered for that.

Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Orchardman on October 16, 2011, 09:18:07 PM
Your right man, we will agree to disagree on this one. What i would say is that in the years after that final, jordan became one of my favourite players, brilliant wing back. I read both of mickey harte's books, might get this one sometime.
Enda always had a great record against canavan, think sean marty lockhart had a good number for a few years on him too.
Aparently this is in 2mro's indo:

Sensational revelations from Joe Kernan's autobiography 'Without a Shadow of a Doubt'.

"By then, information was leaking from our camp as if through a sieve. Details of things we were doing in training were being passed on to others outside the county. We had always prided ourselves in keeping a tight ship, but now all had changed."

Also: The Laois man who called us "Orange B*****ds".

Plus: Paul O'Connell's talk to Armagh
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Qwerty28 on October 30, 2011, 01:29:13 PM
Has anyone read the " County by County" book yet...the follow up to the People's history book that was out in the last year or two. Looks a well presented book with lots of photographs so think it will be on the list for Christmas!
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: 5 Sams on October 31, 2011, 08:57:35 PM
Anybody read big Joe's book yet?? I'm looking forward to it....believe it or not... :)

Great title by the way...but hasn't the same effect unless read out loud with a cross blas :D :D
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: NP 76 on October 31, 2011, 10:54:40 PM
Started big Joes book today interesting to hear his views
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Stevie g 8 on November 01, 2011, 02:31:33 PM
i read big joes book and its typical of GAA books,quite boring and soft.We want to hear the dirt like the ovbious fallout with team leader Mc Geeney
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: ONeill on November 01, 2011, 08:09:02 PM
List of nominees for the WilliamHill.com Irish Sports Book of the Year

Parish Far From Home                           Philip O'Connor                                     (Gill and MacMillan)
Deadlock                                              Eoghan Corry                                        (Gill and MacMillan)
Brothers in Sport                                    Charlie Mulqueen                                   (Mercier Press)
Inside the Peloton                                  Nicolas Roche                                       (Transworld)
Joking Apart                                          Donncha O'Callaghan                            (Transworld)
Engage-The Fall&Rise of Matt Hampson Paul Kimmage                                       (Simon & Schuster)
Walk On – My Life in Red                       Ronnie Whelan                                      (Simon & Schuster)
Cyclone – My Story                               Barry McGuigan                                     (Random House)
Mick Mackey                                         Henry Martin                                         (Collins Press)
Ocean Fever                                         Damian Foxall & David Brannigan           (Collins Press)
The GAA – County by County                Mike Cronin, Mark Duncan & Paul Rouse(Collins Press)
Places We Play                                     Mike Cronin & Roisin Higgins                 (Collins Press)
Ambassadors on Horseback                   Michael Slavin & Louise Parkes              (O'Brien Press)
Who Dares Runs                                   Gerry Duffy                                           (Ballpoint Press)
This is our Year                                     Declan Bogue                                        (Ballpoint Press)
Can You Manage?                                 Tim Healy                                             (Ballpoint Press)
One Hell of a Ride                                 Paul Carberry                                        (Paperweight Press)
100 Irish Rugby Greats                          John Scally                                           (Mainstream Publishing)
Just Follow the Floodlights                     Brian Kennedy                                       (Liffey Press)
The Dubs – Road to Sam Maguire          Malachy Clerkin                                     (Penguin Ireland)
AP McCoy – My Autobiography              AP McCoy & Donn McClean                  (Orion Books)
Life, Death & Hurling                              Michael Duignan                                    (Irish Sports Publishing)
Without a Shadow of a Doubt                 Joe Kernan                                            (Irish Sports Publishing)
Red Blooded                                         Alan Quinlan                                          (Irish Sports Publishing)
Blue Blood                                            Bernard Jackman                                   (Irish Sports Publishing)
Gods Vs Mortals                                    Paul Keane                                           (Irish Sports Publishing)
The Official Book of the FAI Cup            Sean Ryan                                            (Liberties Press)
Whose Side Are You On?                       Teddy Jamieson                                    (Yellow Jersey Press)
John Doyle                                            John Harrington                                     (Irish Sports Publishing)
Six After Six                                          Ger Siggins                                           (Brickfield's Press)
Born to Perform                                     Gerard Hartmann                                   (Orpen Press)


The nominees for this year's WilliamHill.com Irish Sports Book of the Year have been announced today.  There are 30 contenders for this year's award, the largest entry since the award was established 6 years ago.

Some of the top names in Irish sport and Irish sports writing will compete for the award this year covering a range of sports from rugby and soccer to Gaelic Games and cycling.  Some of the contenders from Gaelic Games include Joe Kernan's autobiography "Without a Shadow of a Doubt" detailing his life in the GAA and also how the downturn left him bankrupt, while Malachy Clerkin's book, "The Dubs", details Dublin's march to All-Ireland glory for the first time in 16 years.

Former Offaly double All-Ireland winner Michael Duignan tells his story in "Life, Death and Hurling" while  Declan Bogue's "This is our Year" is a behind the scenes look at the fortunes of the Ulster teams competing in this year's Football Championship.

Horseracing throws up a couple of this year's contenders with Paul Carberry's "One Hell of a Ride" and AP McCoy's autobiography both in the hunt for the award, while Nicolas Roche's "Inside the Peloton" gives an account of his life as a professional cyclist. 

Soccer is also represented in the list of contenders with Ronnie Whelan's account of his time at Liverpool and the Irish team, "Walk On – My Life in Red" and Brian Kennedy's book on the League of Ireland, "Just Follow the Floodlights".  Former William Hill Sports Book of the Year winner Paul Kimmage is also in contention with his book, "Engage – The Fall & Rise of Matt Hampson", on former English rugby international Matt Hampson who was paralysed during training.

Some of the other books in the running are "Born to Perform" by Gerard Hartmann, one of Ireland's top physical therapists and how he has helped to mould the careers of some of the world's biggest sports stars, while "Cyclone – My Story" tells the life story of Barry McGuigan, one of Ireland's greatest boxers.

Tony Kenny, PR Manager for WilliamHill.com, said; "There has been huge interest in this year's award which shows how far we have come with the competition in the past 6 years.  The standard of sports writing this year has again improved with some top class books in the running for the award and a range of stories from autobiographies to accounts of some of the most famous occasions in Irish sport.  This year's is probably the most competitive list of contenders we have seen so there will certainly be a deserving winner come December."

The shortlist for the WilliamHill.com Irish Sports Book of the Year will be announced in November with the winner of this year's award being revealed in early December. The award will be decided by a judging panel of 11 of Ireland's most respected sports commentators, which includes George Hook, Matt Cooper, Eamon Dunphy and Paul Dempsey.

The WilliamHill.com Irish Sports Book of the Year was established in 2006 to reward excellence in sports writing in Ireland.  This is the sixth year of the award with previous winners including, "The Club" by Christy O'Connor, Dónal Óg Cusack's "Come What May", Paul McGrath's "Back from the Brink", Tommy Byrne's "Crashed and Byrned" and "Heart and Soul" by Trevor Brennan.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: The Moon is Down on November 01, 2011, 11:32:16 PM
Is there any sports book published this year which hasn't made the list????
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: ONeill on November 08, 2011, 08:19:21 PM
Boyle takes Cass to book


By Tom Comack
Published on Saturday 5 November 2011 13:01

All-Ireland winner and former Donegal senior team mentor Tony Boyle has responded this week to the criticism levelled by All-Star defender Kevin Cassidy at John Joe Doherty and his management team in a newly published book.

Boyle, along with Tommy Ryan and Michael McGeehin, was part of the management team during Doherty's two years as Donegal boss. Cassidy was captain of the Donegal team in 2010.

'This is our Year' was penned by well-known Fermanagh journalist Declan Bogue of Gaelic Life. It chronicles the 2011 season of a number of top Ulster GAA stars such as Cassidy, Ryan McMenamin (Tyrone), Steven McDonnell (Armagh), Barry Owens (Fermanagh), Aidan Carr (Down), Paddy Cunningham (Antrim), Micky Conlon (Derry) and Val Andrews and Terry Hyland (Cavan).

In the Gaoth Dobhair man's section an exclusive extract which was recently published, Cassidy outlines the frustation he felt during 2010.

He was highly criticial of Doherty - who he described as a decent man - and his management team for the lack of proper preparation and a lack of tactical awarness.

Speaking to the Donegal Democrat this week, Boyle said that he was very surprised to read Cassidy's criticisms, especially coming from a player that he always had the height of respect for.

He insisted the main thing that Doherty and the management team tried to instill from day one was honesty and pride among the players.

In relation to a number of Cassidy's criticisms and the lack of a professional approach to training and preparation, Boyle said: "We had one of the most highly respected Sports psychologists, Des Jennings from Armagh, involved with us to try and bring out some leadership qualities in the players. He had been with Armagh during their sucessful period.

"We did so to encourage the players to express themselves in team meetings and bring this on to the field. But sadly in all the team meetings we had, the same two or three players were speaking all the time and the rest just sitting there saying nothing."

The Dungloe man said allowances could be made for the younger players, but he said he always found it hard to take in that the more experienced players had nothing to contribute.

He also went on to say that you always had the one or two disgruntled players that were always pulling against the grain, usually after being dropped.

He also expressed his disappointment that these players were never challenged by the other players, which resulted in a wedge being driven between the players and the management.

In response to the lack of proper training and the lack of fitness required for the modern game referred to by Cassidy, Boyle argued that they brought in some of the top people in the business to assist, in particular strength and conditioning training.

"Gerard Hartman from Limerick, recognised worldwide as an expert in strength and conditioning, was one such person. Tommy Stevenson from Armagh, also highly acclaimed, was another that assisted with strength and conditioning.

"But as Kevin admitted 'most of them weren't into training themselves. Kevin's admission of players not being fit enough says more to me about the players' mindset and what they are willing to put into training sessions."

The lack of analysis of the opposition which was raised by Cassidy and the fact that the management never had an observer in the stand is also challenged by Boyle.

"All I can say here is that every team we played against were analysed before each game by Michael McGeehin. Specific match-ups and positional switches were made if needed. But when we lost it was the usual 'it's not our (players') fault'. It was always the game-plan, the system, or we didn't know our role, but never the players. Kevin would remember this if he thinks back to the Antrim game (2009).

"On the Down game (2010) that he spoke about, match-ups were made that day. But with championship games you will have some lads that will have an off day and some that are not up to it. I think the biggest thing we lacked that day was when after 20 minutes and Down were there to be put away we hadn't enough leaders to drive on and kill the game. And it wouldn't have mattered if we had a man in the stand or on the roof of the stand, we could see that from the sideline."

Boyle admitted the one mistake that they as a management team made was that they expected some of older players to show more leadership qualities and to think on their feet in the course of games.

"This is why I would give Jim McGuinness great credit for realising this straight away when he came in and devising a game plan to make up for these shortcomings. As he (McGuinness) said himself if they had gone toe to toe with the Dubs they would have been beaten out the gate."

Boyle finished up by saying he never got around to writing a book. "Maybe you have to make it more interesting but I'm sure I'll get a chance to discuss this with Cass over a pint some time. Maybe even at the launch."

John Joe Doherty did not wish to comment for now on the criticism and the contents of the book.

'This is our Year' will be officially launched by Joe Brolly, at Teach Mhici, Gweedore, on Saturday week, November 5 at 8pm
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Minder on November 08, 2011, 09:14:46 PM
What is your cut O'Neill?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: ONeill on November 08, 2011, 10:31:39 PM
A bag of floury pypers.

Big Joe offering a gallon of red.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: brokencrossbar1 on November 08, 2011, 10:34:51 PM
Quote from: ONeill on November 08, 2011, 10:31:39 PM
A bag of floury pypers.

Big Joe offering a gallon of red.

Diesel or wine?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: ONeill on November 08, 2011, 10:43:59 PM
He didn't say.

You should write a book about the Cross awakening in the 90s from an insider's POV. You can explain away the elbows etc.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: brokencrossbar1 on November 08, 2011, 10:51:08 PM
Quote from: ONeill on November 08, 2011, 10:43:59 PM
He didn't say.

You should write a book about the Cross awakening in the 90s from an insider's POV. You can explain away the elbows etc.

Have often thought about it, the elbows though never happened ;)
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: tonesfirstandlast on November 11, 2011, 02:22:56 PM
Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on November 08, 2011, 10:51:08 PM
Quote from: ONeill on November 08, 2011, 10:43:59 PM
He didn't say.

You should write a book about the Cross awakening in the 90s from an insider's POV. You can explain away the elbows etc.

Have often thought about it, the elbows though never happened ;)

Would it not be better if one of the footballers wrote it.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: brokencrossbar1 on November 11, 2011, 02:36:33 PM
Quote from: tonesfirstandlast on November 11, 2011, 02:22:56 PM
Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on November 08, 2011, 10:51:08 PM
Quote from: ONeill on November 08, 2011, 10:43:59 PM
He didn't say.

You should write a book about the Cross awakening in the 90s from an insider's POV. You can explain away the elbows etc.

Have often thought about it, the elbows though never happened ;)

Would it not be better if one of the footballers wrote it.

1996 or 1998, I'm not sure which was most satisfying :D
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: donegal_abu on November 14, 2011, 07:42:40 PM
This is our year is a very good read imo. Just bought it today and seems good so far anyways... very sincere accounts by all players. would recommend it
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: NP 76 on November 14, 2011, 07:51:33 PM
Have you read Ross Carrs piece yet . Saw an extract in the Newry paper he seems to have a real chip on his shoulder
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: magpie seanie on November 15, 2011, 05:27:32 PM
Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on November 08, 2011, 10:51:08 PM
Quote from: ONeill on November 08, 2011, 10:43:59 PM
He didn't say.

You should write a book about the Cross awakening in the 90s from an insider's POV. You can explain away the elbows etc.

Have often thought about it, the elbows though never happened ;)

No melters at all!
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Don Johnson on November 16, 2011, 09:54:11 AM
Quote from: NP 76 on November 14, 2011, 07:51:33 PM
Have you read Ross Carrs piece yet . Saw an extract in the Newry paper he seems to have a real chip on his shoulder

What is this about?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Stevie g 8 on November 16, 2011, 10:47:16 AM
his son was excluded from the down panel and he has a bit of a go at management,claiming he,s one of there best
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: seafoid on December 01, 2011, 10:49:59 AM
Quote from: ONeill on October 15, 2011, 10:40:00 PM
Big Joe's book.

Extract.


Tyrone player mocked Marsden after wrongful dismissal in 2003 final
By Martin Breheny/Kernan

I've seen a lot on football fields and I have to say that nothing ever annoyed or frustrated me more than what happened to Diarmaid Marsden in the 2003 All-Ireland final. I'll say it straight -- his dismissal against Tyrone cost Armagh the title.

I haven't a doubt that if Diarmaid had been there over that crucial finishing stretch, Armagh would have won the two-in-a-row. Now, if he had done something that warranted a dismissal we could live with it.

Do the crime, do the time and all that.

In this case, there was no crime but plenty of time. Well, certainly enough to sway what had been a tight, tense game where inches were always going to be crucial. Instead of having Diarmaid's intelligent presence on the run-in, we were down to 14 men after he had been sent off by referee Brian White.

Tyrone's Philip Jordan ran at Diarmaid, who instinctively put up his arm in self-defence. Jordan went down as if he'd been hit by a crowbar, the Tyrone crowd starting baying and suddenly Diarmaid was in the referee's firing line.

If White saw the incident clearly, I have no idea how he could have sent Diarmaid off on a straight red card, which implied he had been guilty of striking. Was the ref serious? A guy is running straight at you and you're supposed to stand there with your hands down by your sides and take what's coming?

I was disgusted by the actions of at least one Tyrone player who mockingly clapped Diarmaid off the pitch. There's an honour among players -- or at least there should be -- and to see a man gloating at an opponent's bad luck in an All-Ireland final is something I could never understand. It's not the GAA where I was brought up or one I ever want to be part of.

Diarmaid's dismissal meant he would miss the first game of the 2004 championship and placed a black mark against his name which had to be challenged.

We were furious that he had been wronged. Diarmaid was conscious that, among other things, his little girl, Lara, who was too young to understand at the time, might ask him in years to come why was he sent off in an All-Ireland final. He could explain as much as he wanted that it was an injustice, but the record books would show otherwise unless he had his name cleared.

You would have thought that the Games Administration Committee might have decided in favour of Diarmaid on the basis of video evidence. But, no, he was suspended and we had no option but to set about having it overturned. The final port of call in that frustrating process was Central Council and, to their credit, they acknowledged that an injustice had been done. The suspension was struck out and while it was of no value to us or Diarmaid in footballing terms, it at least cleared a good man's name.

Irish Independent
Saturday October 15 2011




But then I got a call from John Joe and he told me that, while they wanted me to continue, I would have to change my back-room team. I took that to mean I would have to get rid of John McCloskey as trainer and Paul Hatton as strength and conditioning coach, something I was not prepared to do.Once I was prevented from appointing the people I felt would do the best job, then I had no option but to resign. I was, after all, bringing these people in for the good of Galway football.

In hindsight, perhaps some of the changes I suggested at the meeting didn't go down all that well. Maybe those suggestions caused a change of heart between the meeting and the phone call to tell me that I would have to alter my back-room team.


I hate that aspect of the culture. You can't say "no" to somebody's face so you make up some BS to get rid of them anyway.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Orchardman on December 01, 2011, 08:31:17 PM
This is our year, brilliant book so far. Over half way through at this stage

Kevin Cassidy seems a great character; love the stories about the Donegal sessions years ago. Nothing overly wild, but good to read regardless. The other good characters would be ricey, clerkin and val andrews. Clerkin opens up a fair bit, very honest about stuff the last few years. Val andrews story is great, puts himself down as a mad man from ballymum who just got lucky, interesting guy.

Some of the rest are duds though. Our own stevie McDonnell's chapters are ok, though there was a good part where he talked about the rubbish psychologist they had 2 years ago and got rid of him, the guy kramar from queens who the mcnculty brothers and other sigerson players raved about in the 90's.
The stuff about aiden carr is one long borefest/moanfest. No harm to the lad,obviously very down on the whole sub role, and I can relate to that and how shite it feels. But it goes on and on, and ross carr gets plenty of airtime on it as well. Still, i do like honesty, i'll give them that. I havn't watched the lad play much to be honest, but ross contends that 2 or 3 years ago he was in the top 5 defenders in the country, do any down posters agree with this??

Paddy cunningham is very honest about stuff, but i just wouldn't be interested in anything to do with the antrim side. He actually gives out loads of stink about the poor quality of training that antrim were doing, i'm surprised it hasn't been picked up on. Amazing that cassidy has been given the road for saying how great big jim is, whilst wee paddy lambasts the shite training under baker!

Oh aye, conlon the derry keeper has a decent story about his comeback at 33 and changing jobs, and big barry owens story about the strike etc aint bad
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: ONeill on December 03, 2011, 09:47:01 PM
Quote from: Orchardman on December 01, 2011, 08:31:17 PM
This is our year, brilliant book so far. Over half way through at this stage

Kevin Cassidy seems a great character; love the stories about the Donegal sessions years ago. Nothing overly wild, but good to read regardless. The other good characters would be ricey, clerkin and val andrews. Clerkin opens up a fair bit, very honest about stuff the last few years. Val andrews story is great, puts himself down as a mad man from ballymum who just got lucky, interesting guy.

Some of the rest are duds though. Our own stevie McDonnell's chapters are ok, though there was a good part where he talked about the rubbish psychologist they had 2 years ago and got rid of him, the guy kramar from queens who the mcnculty brothers and other sigerson players raved about in the 90's.
The stuff about aiden carr is one long borefest/moanfest. No harm to the lad,obviously very down on the whole sub role, and I can relate to that and how shite it feels. But it goes on and on, and ross carr gets plenty of airtime on it as well. Still, i do like honesty, i'll give them that. I havn't watched the lad play much to be honest, but ross contends that 2 or 3 years ago he was in the top 5 defenders in the country, do any down posters agree with this??

Paddy cunningham is very honest about stuff, but i just wouldn't be interested in anything to do with the antrim side. He actually gives out loads of stink about the poor quality of training that antrim were doing, i'm surprised it hasn't been picked up on. Amazing that cassidy has been given the road for saying how great big jim is, whilst wee paddy lambasts the shite training under baker!

Oh aye, conlon the derry keeper has a decent story about his comeback at 33 and changing jobs, and big barry owens story about the strike etc aint bad


Finally got my hands on a copy today and agree on the Cunningham material. I'd say Baker wouldn't be overly pleased at Paddy's honesty.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: clarshack on December 03, 2011, 11:33:19 PM
is this book all sold out as expected? or can copies still be got?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Farneylawd2011 on December 04, 2011, 11:38:50 AM
Finished Joe Kernan book.Very good so it was.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Minder on December 04, 2011, 11:42:24 AM
Quote from: clarshack on December 03, 2011, 11:33:19 PM
is this book all sold out as expected? or can copies still be got?

Was there only a limited number printed ?  If there is demand for it you will be able to get it.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: ONeill on December 04, 2011, 12:56:59 PM
There were plenty in Eason's in Craigavon yesterday.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: TGFC on December 09, 2011, 06:19:24 PM
Teemore Shamrocks of County Fermanagh have released a book recently. It recalls the history of GAA activity in the area stretching back to 1880's when it was first recorded, to 1904 when the club was officially founded and goes into detail on the clubs 21 senior football championships up until the most recent championship success in 2005, detail which includes pictures, match reports, team sheets and general information as history records it. The book also tells the story of the people who have played their parts in the club at all levels including Brendan Reilly who won senior county championship titles over four consecutive decades, former GAA president Peter Quinn and 2 time All Star Barry Owens to name but a few.

It has so far proved to be a popular read for the people of Teemore and its surrounding areas with the book recalling the very early years of the GAA. It also offers interesting reading for the people of Fermanagh and indeed GAA people nationwide especially in the story of GAA's emergance and the journey for a club from its beginning in 1904 to its position as the most successful club in the county. It also tells of the political and economic troubles which affected Ireland throughout the last 100+ years and how they nearly put the club out of existance but for a very determined few who kept it alive. more info on the website in my signiture.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: 5 Sams on December 25, 2011, 11:14:12 PM
Got Big Joe's book in the stockin. I'm a good bit through it at this stage..great read ...huge respect for the man and his players.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Minder on December 25, 2011, 11:39:41 PM
I have Michael Duignans book, haven't started it yet but a bit disappointed its only 200 odd pages.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Mont on December 27, 2011, 03:25:54 PM
Not a lot about geezer in kernans book.
Surprised by that as he seemed to be their natural leader-maybe bitter than geezer is getting more in a season than he ever got ;)
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: AFS on December 27, 2011, 06:29:44 PM
Wasn't fussed on Kernan's book. It's a decent recap of his time with Cross and then Armagh, but there's very little in it that'll be news to someone that paid much attention to these sides over the last ten or fifteen years. As alluded to earlier, a much more interesting book could be written from the bits that were left out.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Puckoon on December 27, 2011, 07:55:56 PM
Enjoying Christy O'Connors "the club". First Hurling book I've ever delved into and I must say it's great reading so far.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: 5 Sams on December 27, 2011, 08:23:52 PM
Quote from: Puckoon on December 27, 2011, 07:55:56 PM
Enjoying Christy O'Connors "the club". First Hurling book I've ever delved into and I must say it's great reading so far.

Last Man Standing is much better
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Glensman on December 28, 2011, 12:59:21 AM
Hooked is the best hurling book I have read - Justin McCarthy. Always had a serious soft spot for him after reading that. Hence being on his side when ousted from Waterford.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: dundrumite on December 29, 2011, 01:06:40 AM
Read that This is our year book there.. Great read, very interested to hear how Cassidy basically talked Peter Harte into missing his free kicks and how they rebuked Tyrone with " not today."
Favourite GAA book read is still Harte's Kicking down heaven's door.
Favourite Non-GAA books include Clive Woodward autobiography and particularly John Wooden book on leadership. Bounce and the Talent code are also two very good books have read recently.
Great line from Wooden "if you want to gain experience quickly consult with someone who has achieved what your looking to do" great reason to read books of great sport coaches like these guys.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: ONeill on December 29, 2011, 11:21:00 AM
Quote from: dundrumite on December 29, 2011, 01:06:40 AM

Favourite Non-GAA books include Clive Woodward autobiography and particularly John Wooden book on leadership. Bounce and the Talent code are also two very good books have read recently.
Great line from Wooden "if you want to gain experience quickly consult with someone who has achieved what your looking to do" great reason to read books of great sport coaches like these guys.

Just finished Paul Merson's book. Jaysus, how he's still alive I don't know. Puts McConville's gambling antics in the shade but I suppose Merson had more money to play about with. The amount of beer and cocaine he was guzzling down was frightening, yet still turning out good performances for Arsenal. There seemed to be a massive drinking culture amongst professional footballers in England in the 90s and it's no wonder they bombed in major tournaments. Some of the stuff they got up to was trampish - crapping in a room-mates pillowcase, crapping over balconies, smashing places up etc. Merson makes no apologies for his behaviour - he was out of control and detached from reality.

Reading that and McConville's book fairly opens up the whole gambling addiction to the wider public. I don't understand it but it's a really dangerous disease.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: customsandrevenue on December 29, 2011, 11:46:17 AM
Quote from: ONeill on December 29, 2011, 11:21:00 AM

Just finished Paul Merson's book. Jaysus, how he's still alive I don't know. Puts McConville's gambling antics in the shade but I suppose Merson had more money to play about with. The amount of beer and cocaine he was guzzling down was frightening, yet still turning out good performances for Arsenal. There seemed to be a massive drinking culture amongst professional footballers in England in the 90s and it's no wonder they bombed in major tournaments. Some of the stuff they got up to was trampish - crapping in a room-mates pillowcase, crapping over balconies, smashing places up etc. Merson makes no apologies for his behaviour - he was out of control and detached from reality.

Reading that and McConville's book fairly opens up the whole gambling addiction to the wider public. I don't understand it but it's a really dangerous disease.

He is very humourous on Have I Got News For You.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: fitzroyalty on December 29, 2011, 11:22:23 PM
Quote from: dundrumite on December 29, 2011, 01:06:40 AM
Read that This is our year book there.. Great read, very interested to hear how Cassidy basically talked Peter Harte into missing his free kicks and how they rebuked Tyrone with " not today."
Favourite GAA book read is still Harte's Kicking down heaven's door.
Favourite Non-GAA books include Clive Woodward autobiography and particularly John Wooden book on leadership. Bounce and the Talent code are also two very good books have read recently.
Great line from Wooden "if you want to gain experience quickly consult with someone who has achieved what your looking to do" great reason to read books of great sport coaches like these guys.
Spolier alert dicky!!!!
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: TacadoirArdMhacha on December 30, 2011, 12:28:56 AM
Quote from: AFS on December 27, 2011, 06:29:44 PM
Wasn't fussed on Kernan's book. It's a decent recap of his time with Cross and then Armagh, but there's very little in it that'll be news to someone that paid much attention to these sides over the last ten or fifteen years. As alluded to earlier, a much more interesting book could be written from the bits that were left out.

Working my way through it. Just finished the 2002 chapter. Interesting tale about an Armagh fan who was publicly rebuked by Joe as he ran onto the pitch in the seconds after the All Ireland victory as this inidividual had been running down Francie all year and accusing Kernan of Crossmaglen bias? I wonder who that was!
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Bud Wiser on December 30, 2011, 07:44:36 PM
Quote from: Minder on December 25, 2011, 11:39:41 PM
I have Michael Duignans book, haven't started it yet but a bit disappointed its only 200 odd pages.

Minder, I got it as well and I am sorry there were more than two pages in it much less 200. It is the worst one of all the GAA books I have. Christy O'Connor shoulkd have relaunched The Club and I would have bought it again and read it cause I gave the one I had to a friend in hospital. Can it still be got?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Minder on December 30, 2011, 08:06:16 PM
Quote from: Bud Wiser on December 30, 2011, 07:44:36 PM
Quote from: Minder on December 25, 2011, 11:39:41 PM
I have Michael Duignans book, haven't started it yet but a bit disappointed its only 200 odd pages.

Minder, I got it as well and I am sorry there were more than two pages in it much less 200. It is the worst one of all the GAA books I have. Christy O'Connor shoulkd have relaunched The Club and I would have bought it again and read it cause I gave the one I had to a friend in hospital. Can it still be got?

Sent you a PM.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: bloodybreakball on December 30, 2011, 09:34:37 PM
the club is a slow burner. I ws underwhelmed after reading it especially with the very high standard o'connor set with last man standing, but i found that it rattled around in my head and stayed with me and on reflection was a great book in the sense that anybody involved with a team or club will emphasize with the year ending without success and how disapoitning that can be. i also thought it was very honest in that o'connors club had been to the pinnacle but there was a great humility in laying all their problems out there. thats what i thought anyway!!!
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Orangemac on January 01, 2012, 09:11:58 PM
Quote from: dundrumite on December 29, 2011, 01:06:40 AM
Read that This is our year book there.. Great read, very interested to hear how Cassidy basically talked Peter Harte into missing his free kicks and how they rebuked Tyrone with " not today."
Just finished this as well. Good read although some parts were more interesting than others. The intensity and level of stone turning Donegal went through last year seems to have been unreal and would be hard to replicate next year.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: bridgegael on January 04, 2012, 07:46:15 AM
"this is our year"  was bit of a poison challice to most involved.  nearly all involved ended up dropped or injured.  good read and interesting to see the level donegal brought it to last year.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: DrinkingHarp on January 04, 2012, 05:20:38 PM
Quote from: Farneylawd2011 on December 04, 2011, 11:38:50 AM
Finished Joe Kernan book.Very good so it was.

Just finished his book also and enjoyed it, wish he went more into the physical training that went into both club and county teams but overall a good read.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Farneylawd2011 on January 15, 2012, 06:41:03 PM
Did Colm o Rourke every write a book ??
And what do you call Spillane second book??
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: ONeill on February 05, 2012, 10:31:17 PM
Anyone read Ronan McSherry's book - Ronan's Rants? It's a collection of his column work. Not exactly an out-and-out GAA book but does have the backdrop of a GAA fanatic. I didn't have high expectations (we had a bit of a run-in years ago) but found myself pleasantly surprised and it did make me laugh a few times. I hadn't laughed since 1995. I'd be interested in how non-Tyronites/mid-Ulsters think of it or whether it's a local humour. A good read. You can get her on kindle.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Jinxy on February 05, 2012, 10:45:12 PM
Quote from: Farneylawd2011 on January 15, 2012, 06:41:03 PM
Did Colm o Rourke every write a book ??
And what do you call Spillane second book??

Yeah, he wrote it a good while ago.
It's a good read.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: The Moon is Down on February 06, 2012, 12:47:48 AM
Liam Hayes wrote Out of our Skins - updated and re-published last year.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Jinxy on February 06, 2012, 12:06:07 PM
Quote from: 5 Sams on February 05, 2012, 11:18:01 PM
Quote from: Jinxy on February 05, 2012, 10:45:12 PM
Quote from: Farneylawd2011 on January 15, 2012, 06:41:03 PM
Did Colm o Rourke every write a book ??
And what do you call Spillane second book??

Yeah, he wrote it a good while ago.
It's a good read.

One of the best ever GAA autobiogs. Written in the 90s. It's called Out of our Skins. Updated and republished recently.

You're getting your Meath legends mixed up!
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: 5 Sams on October 02, 2013, 12:22:27 AM
Lookin forward to Liam Hayes book about Heffo. Hearing great noises about it. Think what you want about Hayes as a journalist and his opinions....BUT if its as half as good as his own book it will be very good.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Hardy on October 05, 2013, 04:32:17 PM
Quote from: Farneylawd2011 on January 15, 2012, 06:41:03 PM
Did Colm o Rourke every write a book ??

"The Final Whistle"
1996
Hero Books Ltd., Lucan
0 952626 5 5
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on October 05, 2013, 09:03:23 PM
Shane,I bet every ould boy around the loughshore has downloaded Ronan's Rants onto his kindle at this stage!

PS No need to buy the book,in any format.Just follow Mc Sherry on twitter.He does nothing only rant all the time! ;D
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: big balla on October 07, 2013, 01:44:19 PM
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Fairytale-New-York-Paul-Fitzpatrick/9780957207264

Great new book by Paul Fitzpatrick of the Anglo Celt about Cavan's victory in The Polo Grounds and how it all came about. Great read for any GAA fan, not just Cavan fans. Obviously a lot of research done and it shows, great read.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: take_yer_points on November 13, 2013, 09:54:35 AM
Just in time for Christmas...

(http://i40.tinypic.com/33y3mkg.jpg)
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: nrico2006 on November 13, 2013, 10:54:44 AM
Haven't read an autobiography in a few years but really want to get Tysons when it comes out.  Thinking about Lance Armstrongs too.  DJ Carey is in Craigavon this weekend signing copies of his book.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: StephenC on November 13, 2013, 09:07:19 PM
Quote from: nrico2006 on November 13, 2013, 10:54:44 AM
Haven't read an autobiography in a few years but really want to get Tysons when it comes out.  Thinking about Lance Armstrongs too.  DJ Carey is in Craigavon this weekend signing copies of his book.

Read an excerpt form Tyson's book online recently and it was pretty good. Check it out if you haven't read it yet.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: anglocelt39 on November 13, 2013, 09:28:07 PM
Quote from: big balla on October 07, 2013, 01:44:19 PM
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Fairytale-New-York-Paul-Fitzpatrick/9780957207264

Great new book by Paul Fitzpatrick of the Anglo Celt about Cavan's victory in The Polo Grounds and how it all came about. Great read for any GAA fan, not just Cavan fans. Obviously a lot of research done and it shows, great read.


Agree 100% only halfway through it, mind you it does have added appeal to a cavanman. Eamon Sweeney's Road to Croker account of the 2003 championship season is a great read, he gave his liver some punishment in the name of literature.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: BennyCake on November 14, 2013, 12:34:46 PM
Quote from: nrico2006 on November 13, 2013, 10:54:44 AM
Haven't read an autobiography in a few years but really want to get Tysons when it comes out.  Thinking about Lance Armstrongs too.  DJ Carey is in Craigavon this weekend signing copies of his book.

Where and when?

More importantly, why?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: muppet on November 14, 2013, 12:53:18 PM
Quote from: BennyCake on November 14, 2013, 12:34:46 PM
Quote from: nrico2006 on November 13, 2013, 10:54:44 AM
Haven't read an autobiography in a few years but really want to get Tysons when it comes out.  Thinking about Lance Armstrongs too.  DJ Carey is in Craigavon this weekend signing copies of his book.

Where and when?

More importantly, why?

It's a conspiracy.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: BennyCake on November 14, 2013, 01:20:10 PM
Quote from: muppet on November 14, 2013, 12:53:18 PM
Quote from: BennyCake on November 14, 2013, 12:34:46 PM
Quote from: nrico2006 on November 13, 2013, 10:54:44 AM
Haven't read an autobiography in a few years but really want to get Tysons when it comes out.  Thinking about Lance Armstrongs too.  DJ Carey is in Craigavon this weekend signing copies of his book.

Where and when?

More importantly, why?

It's a conspiracy.

I thought so  ::)
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: BennyCake on November 14, 2013, 01:34:40 PM
Quote from: hardstation on November 14, 2013, 01:28:09 PM
Quote from: BennyCake on November 14, 2013, 12:34:46 PM
Quote from: nrico2006 on November 13, 2013, 10:54:44 AM
Haven't read an autobiography in a few years but really want to get Tysons when it comes out.  Thinking about Lance Armstrongs too.  DJ Carey is in Craigavon this weekend signing copies of his book.

Where and when?

More importantly, why?
1. Craigavon.
2. This weekend.
3. To sign copies of his book.

You know the time and exact location?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Hardy on November 14, 2013, 03:44:07 PM
What kind of a pen will he be using?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: muppet on November 14, 2013, 07:04:52 PM
Quote from: Hardy on November 14, 2013, 03:44:07 PM
What kind of a pen will he be using?

A 'did knee ha' pen.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on November 18, 2013, 11:57:08 AM
Massive crowd on Saturday in Rushmere, half an hour wait in the queue in Easons to get DJ to sign my book and KK jersey. Cultural differences in evidence too, I overheard two women passing the shop, wondering what all the fuss was about, and one, after reading the poster said "Its D J Carey, whoever that is?"

The most unlikely person to appear in Craigavon since Christy Moore played nearby Brownlow Leisure Centre in 1995.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Keepthefaith93 on November 18, 2013, 12:02:04 PM
Quote from: take_yer_points on November 13, 2013, 09:54:35 AM
Just in time for Christmas...

(http://i40.tinypic.com/33y3mkg.jpg)

That would be some read
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Feckitt on November 18, 2013, 12:18:56 PM
This should be good,

Classic Croker Goals, The floor scaper incident, and the world's greatest ever blonde mullet/ginger beard combo.

Add in your County's first ever All-Ireland win, Your club's first ever All-Ireland win, it should be good craic.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: theskull1 on November 18, 2013, 12:26:22 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on November 18, 2013, 11:57:08 AM
Massive crowd on Saturday in Rushmere, half an hour wait in the queue in Easons to get DJ to sign my book and KK jersey. Cultural differences in evidence too, I overheard two women passing the shop, wondering what all the fuss was about, and one, after reading the poster said "Its D J Carey, whoever that is?"

The most unlikely person to appear in Craigavon since Christy Moore played nearby Brownlow Leisure Centre in 1995.

Probably from cross  :D
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Hardy on November 18, 2013, 12:40:20 PM
I had this dream last night, word for word. Maybe I need help:

Welcome to this week's book review on Radio Tyrone. This week, our guest reviewer, The Invisible Man, has been reading "Mugsy", by Eoin Mulligan.

The Invisible Man, what did you think of Eoin Mulligan's book?
-   I'm not The Invisible Man any more. I'm The Seventh Of October.
Does that mean –
-   No. I'm still invisible
The book?
-   I burned it.


I think I'm beginning to get lawnseed.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Tony Baloney on November 18, 2013, 01:35:07 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on November 18, 2013, 11:57:08 AM
Massive crowd on Saturday in Rushmere, half an hour wait in the queue in Easons to get DJ to sign my book and KK jersey. Cultural differences in evidence too, I overheard two women passing the shop, wondering what all the fuss was about, and one, after reading the poster said "Its D J Carey, whoever that is?"

The most unlikely person to appear in Craigavon since Christy Moore played nearby Brownlow Leisure Centre in 1995.
I was surprised at the size of the crowd myself.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on November 18, 2013, 02:18:47 PM
I suppose Muggsy will  be sitting on a sofa, out in the Main Street in Cookstown, at 1.30am in the morning, signing copies of the book....well at least until the PSNI arrive! ;D
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: emmetryan on November 18, 2013, 06:47:14 PM
Hi guys,

My new book on Gaelic Football tactics over the last 12 months, Victory Loves Preparation, is out now. It's €15 and you can get it one of three ways...

1. Order it online here: http://www.originalwriting.ie/collections/new-releases/products/victory-loves-preparation

2. Come to the launch in Kilmacud Crokes on Thursday the 28th of November.

3. Drop me a PM and meet me in Dublin.

Ebook version will be available soon, I'll update when it is.

Thanks,
Emmet
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: 5 Sams on November 18, 2013, 10:04:39 PM
Donal Keenan has a new one out on Páidí. It was launched a week ago in Dublin. Don't see on sale anywhere yet?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Under Lights on November 19, 2013, 12:28:04 PM
Anyone get Mugsy's yet?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on November 19, 2013, 02:40:51 PM
I went to buy Mugsy's book, but the blond shop assistant from Tyrone sold me a dummy
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Feckitt on November 19, 2013, 03:04:22 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on November 19, 2013, 02:40:51 PM
I went to buy Mugsy's book, but the blond shop assistant from Tyrone sold me a dummy

Congrats Tony, first good joke ever.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Croí na hÉireann on November 19, 2013, 05:16:01 PM
Quote from: emmetryan on November 18, 2013, 06:47:14 PM
Hi guys,

My new book on Gaelic Football tactics over the last 12 months, Victory Loves Preparation, is out now. It's €15 and you can get it one of three ways...

1. Order it online here: http://www.originalwriting.ie/collections/new-releases/products/victory-loves-preparation

2. Come to the launch in Kilmacud Crokes on Thursday the 28th of November.

3. Drop me a PM and meet me in Dublin.

Ebook version will be available soon, I'll update when it is.

Thanks,
Emmet

You forgot about no 4, meet you at a match.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Under Lights on November 20, 2013, 09:51:36 AM

DECLAN BOGUE – 20 NOVEMBER 2013
Owen Mulligan is sitting in the Greenvale Hotel on launch day of his autobiography; 'Mugsy', when he startles the questioner by asking; "I don't think I have slated Mickey Harte. What do you think?"

For the record, he doesn't.
In the prologue, describing his arrest for criminal damage in 2008 for example, he writes, 'If I had beenMickey Harte dealing with me, I'd have given me the road a few times.'
The first chapter begins as thus; 'I was working on the roof of a house the day I heard Mickey Harte was the new Tyrone senior football manager. I could have jumped as high as the house. If anybody is going to manage Tyrone to a senior All-Ireland title, it's him.'
Slate Mickey Harte? No way.
It still pains him though, how it ended. Even now, he hates the way it was all left hanging in the air, waiting for a phonecall to resume his county career that never came after he captained Cookstown to another All-Ireland Intermediate title.
With the county career over, it's time the Tyrone story got another run out. There are few better-placed to tell it than the colourful Mulligan, one of the most popular players ever in the game.
The book is a reflection of his personality in many cases, but he also reveals a depth than many have missed. He recounts a warm childhood dominated by an inter-family Gaelic football tournament, 'The Mulligan Cup' with his father Eugene recording it all on video with player interviews.
'Who's your favourite player? Are you confident of winning today?'
He had Eugene maddened another time when he mistook solid oak door frames for potential goalposts, drove nails into the crossbars, dug the holes and erected the most expensive goals in Ulster in the family garden.
He doesn't avoid the past 12 months. Tyrone ended and he is maddened by the lack of closure.
"I went to two trial matches and I didn't hear anything since," he recalls.
"It didn't hit me until the Dublin game in the National League final, and even then it didn't hit me during the game. See the next morning? That's when it hit. I just thought, 'what's going on here?'"
He continues, "I got a couple of text messages from the players, asking, 'well, when are you coming back?'
"If you were working at a job for 15 years you expect a handshake. I would have been happy with a handshake, 'thank you Mugsy, thank you lad.' That would have done for me. But I didn't get that."
It should be said that there is no-one Mulligan is harder on in his autobiography than himself. His honesty is compelling and he pulls himself up for acting beneath his years as he left his own and Raymond Mulgrew's mother in tears by embarking on a session of drink the week before the 2008 All-Ireland final in Armagh and leaving his phone turned off.
"I was in a bad place, as they say. My confidence was gone, I wasn't on the team ...
"Ray was always the young lad, the next big thing, there was talk he was the next Peter Canavan. But he would come in with a pint of stout and maybe the next week I might come in with a pint. I should have been the older man, advising him, like Canavan and Chris Lawn done to me."
"They were like my guardians, telling me, 'catch yourself on, pull your horns in.' Instead, I was dragging him away for a pint. I dragged him down that road.
"I still think Ray can make it. He's 27 and it has to happen, but it's on here (thumps chest) if he wants it. I have told him this. He knows deep down that he could make it."
He also knows that some papers will pick off lines in the book and they will be transformed into lurid, Technicolor headlines. The truth, he can live with, even episodes like a night in a prison cell.
"I said to myself if I was going to write an autobiography it had to be the truth. Now, I'm not saying I was right to do that thing in The Conway Inn (when he smashed the pub windows after a row). I was totally wrong.
"I jump into a police car; it's wrong, I'm not saying it was right. I am saying to people not to do it, it's like advice. I put it in the book to show the consequences of being rash. It's just my story."
For all the party boy antics, he only partied when he felt he deserved it. In 2005 after hitting one of the finest goals ever against Dublin, he jumped into a lift and got up the road before the team bus.
"I didn't want that. Even leading up to other games the boys were going out at night and I hated that. . I hated the night, hadn't done anything for Tyrone on the pitch. Why would you go out and celebrate that you were a sub?"
He feels the present generation of Tyrone players have lost that edge his contemporaries had.
"The last couple of years there were boys there just happy enough to put on their tracksuit top, happy enough to drive and get a number on their jersey that was like a phone number, going out that night, seeing the Tyrone groupies."
It drove him mad to be in Ballybofey last May and watch a Tyrone side getting bullied around the field, but when a Tyrone fan shouted over during the All-Ireland semi-final that it was a disgrace he wasn't on the pitch, it was too much.
"I had to go down the steps and away from everybody. A boy shouted down the steps at me in the press box but I had a big lump in my throat and couldn't say anything back to him."
There are few happy endings, but that's sport, that's life. We shouldn't sugar-coat everything and in telling his story, Owen Mulligan has left it as raw as possible with all the goals, celebrations, rows, affairs and arrests.
With all that out there, the last question to ask is what concerns him right now?
"You are always going to get haters," he says. "My take on it is if you haven't the b**** to put a book out, you are going to get it anyway.
"If you are in the public eye, people love you, they hate you. If they think the book is s***e, then good luck to them. I know it's from the heart."
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on November 20, 2013, 11:04:38 AM
Hope he "slated" the roof he was working on, If not  Mickey Harte! ;D
Title: New Book on the Early History of the GAA
Post by: thehermit on November 21, 2013, 11:16:54 PM
Hi everyone,

I'm just bringing to everyone's attention my own book which was released last month and is a history of the early GAA between 1884 and 1934. My name is Richard McElligott and I am a sports historian working in the School of History in UCD and I'm also Chairman of the Sport History Ireland Society.

My book is the first examination of the establishment and development of the GAA on a county level. I look at my native Kerry to explore the GAA's profound impact on the political, social and culture history of Ireland during its first fifty years.   
It is entitled: Forging A Kingdom: The GAA in Kerry, 1884-1934 and is being published by the Collins Press and its retailing at €17.99 in all good bookshops.

For more information please visit:

http://www.collinspress.ie/forging-a-kingdom-by-richard-mcelligott.html

The book examines the reasons behind the formation of the GAA both nationally and locally in in county Kerry. It explores what sport in Ireland was like before the GAA arrived. It assesses the reasons for the GAA's initial popularity among Irish people both in terms of politics, culture and economics. It details the problems involved in the formation of the first clubs in Kerry, their adoption to the GAA's rules and the hard struggle in forming a County Board and trying to run and administer the GAA's organisation in such a large and physically challenging county. It looks at the problems surrounding early county championships and also national competitions. The book deals with clashes between the GAA and the Church and the attempts of Fenian and revolutionary movements to gain control and corrupt the GAA and its membership, both nationally, and in Kerry. It also looks in detail at the role of the GAA in the Gaelic Revival and the influence of Irish political nationalism on the Association at large. Likewise, links with cultural and revolutionary movements such as the Gaelic League, the IRB and Sinn Féin are all examined. The work also explores the emergence of Kerry's unique footballing tradition and examines why hurling fell by the wayside and never gained equal recognition. How the rise of Kerry as a footballing power was fundamental to the GAA itself becoming the most popular and widely supported sports body in Ireland is highlighted. Yet the book also looks at the increasingly desperate attempts to make hurling as much a part of the emerging Kerry tradition, a process which ultimately failed.

The book explores the GAA's relationship with other sports like rugby in Kerry and how the conflict between both sports there was actually the catalyst for Listowel man, Thomas F. O'Sullivan, to force through the infamous 'Foreign Games Ban' in 1905. The role of the  GAA members nationally and locally in events such as the 1916 Rising, the War of Independence, and Civil War, and the effects of political violence on the GAA are outlined. After the Civil War, the senior Kerry side emerged politically divided yet united, the symbol Irish society craved in its search for unity. The work explores this teams origins and its immense impact on the history of Gaelic football at the time. Yet their story is not as simple as it has previously been told and the book also details how Kerry and other counties remained a political hotbed for Republicanism and how this continually manifested itself among the hierarchy of the GAA in the years up until 1934 and beyond.

As such the work is not solely a local history of the Kerry GAA. Rather it is an examination of the entire history of the Association which takes Kerry as its case study. As such, I believe it has the potential to be one of the most important works ever produced on the history of our great Association and a template for all those who wish to write about the development of the GAA in their own counties.

I hope it will be of interest to you all.

(http://www.collinspress.ie/images/thumbnails/0/500/Forging_A_Kingdom.jpg)
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Plain of the Herbs on November 22, 2013, 06:38:30 PM
Reads like it was written in a hurry.  Needs to have quotes and anecdotes from those who surrounded Heffernan but doesnt. There's hardly any insight from within the camp or from those close to the camp. There's hardly any. Basically anyone who is half familiar with Heffo's life and times won't learn anything.

And the attempt at David Peace type repitition grates.

Details of when some of the players of that era ended their careers seem incorrect. I doubt Kevin Moran played in 1980. Bobby Doyle absolutely did play that year (Liam Hayes claims he was left off the panel altogether) - didn't he score the goal in the Leinster Final when Furlong got split? Hayes claims Doyle was left off.
Quote from: 5 Sams on October 02, 2013, 12:22:27 AM
Lookin forward to Liam Hayes book about Heffo. Hearing great noises about it. Think what you want about Hayes as a journalist and his opinions....BUT if its as half as good as his own book it will be very good.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Hardy on November 23, 2013, 11:25:40 AM
Some day I'm going to write a bad book. Then I'll be able to say, "available in all bad bookshops".
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on November 23, 2013, 11:40:11 AM
Did a competition to try to win Mugsy's book yesterday. Want to be able to boast I read it before his ghostwriter read it to him!
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: emmetryan on November 26, 2013, 04:01:16 PM
Quote from: Croí na hÉireann on November 19, 2013, 05:16:01 PM
Quote from: emmetryan on November 18, 2013, 06:47:14 PM
Hi guys,

My new book on Gaelic Football tactics over the last 12 months, Victory Loves Preparation, is out now. It's €15 and you can get it one of three ways...

1. Order it online here: http://www.originalwriting.ie/collections/new-releases/products/victory-loves-preparation

2. Come to the launch in Kilmacud Crokes on Thursday the 28th of November.

3. Drop me a PM and meet me in Dublin.

Ebook version will be available soon, I'll update when it is.

Thanks,
Emmet

You forgot about no 4, meet you at a match.

Not as many games this year, promised herself I'd take it easy this autumn/winter as I was sick as a dog last Christmas.
Title: Re: New Book on the Early History of the GAA
Post by: Ciarrai_thuaidh on November 27, 2013, 08:15:06 AM
Quote from: thehermit on November 21, 2013, 11:16:54 PM
Hi everyone,

I'm just bringing to everyone's attention my own book which was released last month and is a history of the early GAA between 1884 and 1934. My name is Richard McElligott and I am a sports historian working in the School of History in UCD and I'm also Chairman of the Sport History Ireland Society.

My book is the first examination of the establishment and development of the GAA on a county level. I look at my native Kerry to explore the GAA's profound impact on the political, social and culture history of Ireland during its first fifty years.   
It is entitled: Forging A Kingdom: The GAA in Kerry, 1884-1934 and is being published by the Collins Press and its retailing at €17.99 in all good bookshops.

For more information please visit:

http://www.collinspress.ie/forging-a-kingdom-by-richard-mcelligott.html

The book examines the reasons behind the formation of the GAA both nationally and locally in in county Kerry. It explores what sport in Ireland was like before the GAA arrived. It assesses the reasons for the GAA's initial popularity among Irish people both in terms of politics, culture and economics. It details the problems involved in the formation of the first clubs in Kerry, their adoption to the GAA's rules and the hard struggle in forming a County Board and trying to run and administer the GAA's organisation in such a large and physically challenging county. It looks at the problems surrounding early county championships and also national competitions. The book deals with clashes between the GAA and the Church and the attempts of Fenian and revolutionary movements to gain control and corrupt the GAA and its membership, both nationally, and in Kerry. It also looks in detail at the role of the GAA in the Gaelic Revival and the influence of Irish political nationalism on the Association at large. Likewise, links with cultural and revolutionary movements such as the Gaelic League, the IRB and Sinn Féin are all examined. The work also explores the emergence of Kerry's unique footballing tradition and examines why hurling fell by the wayside and never gained equal recognition. How the rise of Kerry as a footballing power was fundamental to the GAA itself becoming the most popular and widely supported sports body in Ireland is highlighted. Yet the book also looks at the increasingly desperate attempts to make hurling as much a part of the emerging Kerry tradition, a process which ultimately failed.

The book explores the GAA's relationship with other sports like rugby in Kerry and how the conflict between both sports there was actually the catalyst for Listowel man, Thomas F. O'Sullivan, to force through the infamous 'Foreign Games Ban' in 1905. The role of the  GAA members nationally and locally in events such as the 1916 Rising, the War of Independence, and Civil War, and the effects of political violence on the GAA are outlined. After the Civil War, the senior Kerry side emerged politically divided yet united, the symbol Irish society craved in its search for unity. The work explores this teams origins and its immense impact on the history of Gaelic football at the time. Yet their story is not as simple as it has previously been told and the book also details how Kerry and other counties remained a political hotbed for Republicanism and how this continually manifested itself among the hierarchy of the GAA in the years up until 1934 and beyond.

As such the work is not solely a local history of the Kerry GAA. Rather it is an examination of the entire history of the Association which takes Kerry as its case study. As such, I believe it has the potential to be one of the most important works ever produced on the history of our great Association and a template for all those who wish to write about the development of the GAA in their own counties.

I hope it will be of interest to you all.

(http://www.collinspress.ie/images/thumbnails/0/500/Forging_A_Kingdom.jpg)

Good luck with this Richard. Will certainly be investing in a copy, sounds very interesting.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Harold Disgracey on November 28, 2013, 08:05:44 PM
First review of Mugsy's book.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/review/0957395477/R15RAMFP8GKX34/ref=mw_dp_cr?cursor=1&qid=1385667073&sort=rd&sr=8-1
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: supersarsfields on November 29, 2013, 08:17:26 AM
Peter Quinn released his book last night.

Outsider

QuoteNo one expected Peter Quinn to live.
At just six years old, the boy's doctor predicted an imminent death unless 'something dramatic' happened – three days later Peter awoke from a coma. It was the first challenge the farmer's son from Fermanagh faced, but it wouldn't be the last.
Peter Quinn went on to conquer the worlds of academia, business and sport, overcoming a variety of obstacles along the way, including ill health, religious prejudice and death threats.
In The Outsider, he recounts a remarkable life, in which the GAA is the constant thread, and charts his unlikely rise through the organisation, first as a player and then as an administrator, becoming GAA President in 1991.
He was there during the Association's darkest days in Northern Ireland when its members were intimidated and murdered, and when the GAA was almost split by the Hunger Strikes.
Yet, within two decades, he was arguing forcefully that a fledgling peace process dictated the GAA should end its ban on the British security forces playing Gaelic games and that the 'foreign games' of rugby and soccer should be accommodated in Croke Park, the GAA's hallowed home.
But it is for the redevelopment of Croke Park that he is known best. His Presidency embraced, promoted and executed the vision of a redeveloped stadium which would shine across the globe as a beacon for Gaelic games and culture.
For the first time, he offers an unparalleled account of how the country's greatest sporting organisation operates, and outlines his fears and hopes for his beloved GAA.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on November 29, 2013, 11:37:23 AM
Will Peter Quinn's released book stay out of captivity longer than his son?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: ONeill on November 30, 2013, 12:58:54 PM
Unbelievably funny there Tone. Keep er lit.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Syferus on December 24, 2013, 02:10:25 AM
Settling in by the fire with this baby over Christmas:

(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3668/11523984096_458499abaa_o.jpg)

(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3716/11524029593_c5714610a7_o.jpg)

(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3833/11523964654_ddc32b1f4d_o.jpg)

(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3763/11523931095_70355ba797_o.jpg)

Hardcover, 200+ pages, beautifully designed, all independently published by Brigids. A classy book by a classy club. Rich (Canny, the author) even interviewed Osin and Gooch about what it means to win the AI, y'know, just to rub it in.

Everyone should chip in so we can get BC1 a copy. Or just one to batter Marty Duffy over the head with.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on December 24, 2013, 09:45:18 AM
Can't wait for the sequel....in 2045.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: tyroneman on December 27, 2013, 07:07:05 PM
Finished Mugsy's book in a few days. Very easy read and highly entertaining.

Comes across as a very honest and likeable individual.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: 5 Sams on December 31, 2013, 05:39:44 PM
Quote from: tyroneman on December 27, 2013, 07:07:05 PM
Finished Mugsy's book in a few days. Very easy read and highly entertaining.

Comes across as a very honest and likeable individual.

Sold out in Easons and Waterstones in Newry since before Christmas. Thought it might have been available in Kerry over the holidays but they hadn't even stocked it!!
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Don Corleone on January 01, 2014, 02:17:07 AM
"The Fairytale in New York" by Paul Fitzpatrick (Ballpoint Press) is a tremendous read, not only for Cavan folk, but for Gaels at large. It deals with the maschinations of getting a proposal to Congress (Easter 1947) and the supplications of Canon Hamilton from Clonlara in Clare to drive it on. There's a suspicion of worn-out delegates, mildly pissed, voting Yes, but it all hangs true.

There's great insights, loyalties and the spectre of Hughie O'Reilly (Cavan's trainer) hanging about. Stalwarts like the Gallant John Joe, Tighe, Higgins, Stafford and the Gunner are lauded, yet, the lesser lights, Willie Doonan, Paddy Smith, Peter Donohoe, Colm McDyer,T.P.O'Reilly and the rest get equal measure.

A great read. Two chapters at the end describe the decline. Like all great ballads, there's a sad verse or two.
2013 has given Cavan a great boost. May they rise up again.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: bottom brick on January 01, 2014, 10:31:54 PM
Quote from: Don Corleone on January 01, 2014, 02:17:07 AM
"The Fairytale in New York" by Paul Fitzpatrick (Ballpoint Press) is a tremendous read, not only for Cavan folk, but for Gaels at large. It deals with the maschinations of getting a proposal to Congress (Easter 1947) and the supplications of Canon Hamilton from Clonlara in Clare to drive it on. There's a suspicion of worn-out delegates, mildly pissed, voting Yes, but it all hangs true.

There's great insights, loyalties and the spectre of Hughie O'Reilly (Cavan's trainer) hanging about. Stalwarts like the Gallant John Joe, Tighe, Higgins, Stafford and the Gunner are lauded, yet, the lesser lights, Willie Doonan, Paddy Smith, Peter Donohoe, Colm McDyer,T.P.O'Reilly and the rest get equal measure.

A great read. Two chapters at the end describe the decline. Like all great ballads, there's a sad verse or two.
2013 has given Cavan a great boost. May they rise up again.

+1
Its a great book, very well researched.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: BennyCake on October 28, 2015, 06:32:52 PM
Any books line u for the Christmas market?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: east down gael on October 28, 2015, 09:24:57 PM
Tomas o'se's book is a decent read.talks a lot about paidi,the brothers and an gaeltacht.unlike most of these books he doesn't give anything away about his private life or anything controversial to do with inside the Kerry camp.in fact he talks of his dislike of giving away what goes on inside the group,specifically jack o'connors book.
   Good read though,giving a slight insight into what makes Kerry what they are.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: 5 Sams on October 30, 2015, 12:50:07 AM
I'd say Tomás will sell a few copies...but Rory Kavanagh???
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Syferus on October 30, 2015, 01:09:15 AM
Johnno's is the pick of the lot lads. Mayo, Leitrim, Galway, Nathys, Brigids, Mayo. Beat that for a story.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: east down gael on October 30, 2015, 09:36:31 AM
Kavanaghs book is out at the same time as jims.not sure it was done on purpose,but it can't hurt his sales as anyone who reads jims book might pick up Rory's at the same time for the players perspective.
     
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: BennyCake on October 30, 2015, 08:24:25 PM
Not sure I'd be in a hurry to read Jim McG's book. He brought success to Donegal, that's to be commended, but for me, his reputation will always be tarnished by his treatment of Kevin Cassidy (and Declan Bogue).
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: ck on October 30, 2015, 09:57:04 PM
Rory Kavanagh has a book? Really? Wouldn't have thought he had the profile for a book, wouldn't event have been top profile in that Donegal team would he?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: ONeill on October 30, 2015, 11:02:47 PM
Quote from: BennyCake on October 30, 2015, 08:24:25 PM
Not sure I'd be in a hurry to read Jim McG's book. He brought success to Donegal, that's to be commended, but for me, his reputation will always be tarnished by his treatment of Kevin Cassidy (and Declan Bogue).

He was a complete bollocks with that.

He never said a word about Bogue when he attended Donegal conferences before or after games up until after the AI final. I get the feeling that a few journalists regret not walking out in support of Bogue but were caught by surprise and confusion at the time.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on October 31, 2015, 07:13:06 AM
Well he was hardly going to be nice and friendly to someone who instigated the betrayal of confidences to make a cheap Buck?

Will always admire Jim Mc Guinness.Spent a day at Lennoxtown in Jan 14 watching Celtic train,and it was just two days after Tyrone had surprisingly defeated Armagh heavily in Mc Kenna Cup.Jim asked me "What the hell happened?" Little did we both know that both his Donegal and Armagh would serve up a memorable AI Quarter final later that year
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: rrhf on October 31, 2015, 07:46:20 AM
I agree it's the ability to play to the common man that sets him apart.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: ONeill on October 31, 2015, 09:35:11 AM
Quote from: T Fearon on October 31, 2015, 07:13:06 AM
Well he was hardly going to be nice and friendly to someone who instigated the betrayal of confidences to make a cheap Buck?

Will always admire Jim Mc Guinness.Spent a day at Lennoxtown in Jan 14 watching Celtic train,and it was just two days after Tyrone had surprisingly defeated Armagh heavily in Mc Kenna Cup.Jim asked me "What the hell happened?" Little did we both know that both his Donegal and Armagh would serve up a memorable AI Quarter final later that year

That's a fantastic anecdote. Had me laughing and shaking my head in equal amounts. You should post a photo too.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Tony Baloney on October 31, 2015, 09:46:22 AM
Quote from: ONeill on October 31, 2015, 09:35:11 AM
Quote from: T Fearon on October 31, 2015, 07:13:06 AM
Well he was hardly going to be nice and friendly to someone who instigated the betrayal of confidences to make a cheap Buck?

Will always admire Jim Mc Guinness.Spent a day at Lennoxtown in Jan 14 watching Celtic train,and it was just two days after Tyrone had surprisingly defeated Armagh heavily in Mc Kenna Cup.Jim asked me "What the hell happened?" Little did we both know that both his Donegal and Armagh would serve up a memorable AI Quarter final later that year

That's a fantastic anecdote. Had me laughing and shaking my head in equal amounts. You should post a photo too.
Difficult to compress into a tweet though. Hard to know what to leave out.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: J70 on October 31, 2015, 10:58:25 AM
Quote from: 5 Sams on October 30, 2015, 12:50:07 AM
I'd say Tomás will sell a few copies...but Rory Kavanagh???

Depends how well written  it is.

He has been privy to the McGuinness years AND the long years of alleged partying and underachievement.

I'll get it.

Edit: Liam Hayes is the ghost writer. Should  be well worth  a read.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on November 01, 2015, 10:14:37 PM
O'Neill check my Facebook page for desired photo ;D
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Itchy on November 01, 2015, 10:56:23 PM
There are two books in really keen on reading this year....

The indecipherable ranting of a internet moron - Tony Fearon
From shite to shiter, a century of Antrim GAA - Hardstation
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: 5 Sams on November 01, 2015, 11:44:54 PM
Tomás's book is £8-50 on Kindle...Jimmy's is nearly £16. Dead on Jim :-[
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: J70 on November 02, 2015, 02:18:20 AM
Quote from: 5 Sams on November 01, 2015, 11:44:54 PM
Tomás's book is £8-50 on Kindle...Jimmy's is nearly £16. Dead on Jim :-[

Its $14 on Kindle  in the states.

I highly  doubt that Jim sets the price.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: easytiger95 on November 02, 2015, 11:40:53 AM
Quote from: T Fearon on October 31, 2015, 07:13:06 AM
Well he was hardly going to be nice and friendly to someone who instigated the betrayal of confidences to make a cheap Buck?

Will always admire Jim Mc Guinness.Spent a day at Lennoxtown in Jan 14 watching Celtic train,and it was just two days after Tyrone had surprisingly defeated Armagh heavily in Mc Kenna Cup.Jim asked me "What the hell happened?" Little did we both know that both his Donegal and Armagh would serve up a memorable AI Quarter final later that year

I was having a really stressful morning in work, logged on here for a bit of respite and what do I get? Probably my favourite post ever on the Board. Genuinely.

Tony, Peter Ustinov will never be dead with you around.

Little did we both know... absolutely classic, pure distilled Fearon.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: screenexile on November 02, 2015, 12:31:44 PM
The extract in the Times at the weekend about the Dublin & Armagh games in 2014 was fascinating . . .

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/jim-mcguinness-how-we-came-up-with-a-plan-to-beat-dublin-1.2403298#utm_sguid=117404,65235995-9037-a59d-4317-0b88e66650d7

Quote
Jim McGuinness: How we came up with a plan to beat Dublin
In an exclusive extract from his memoir `Until Victory Always', published on October 30th, the former Donegal manager revisits the scene of one of his greatest managerial triumphs


Jim McGuinness



A few days after the Ulster final, Pat Shovelin dropped into the house just for a chat. I was down in the office and he popped his head round the door and asked me what I was up to. I laughed. "If I tell you, you can't tell anyone." I was just finishing off the last couple of lines of a plan about how we were going to beat Dublin.
I wasn't fully sure we were even going to meet them because we had a quarter-final and whatever else to play. But I knew that if we hoped to beat them, we needed to plan for it well in advance. They had owned every team they met over the summer and they appeared to be getting stronger with every game. You regularly heard the word "invincible" mentioned in radio discussions about them. It is a dangerous word, that.
There was history between Dublin and Donegal. The 2011 semi-final had been central to people forming their opinion about us. And the league match in Ballybofey when we were All-Ireland champions had had a really dark atmosphere. But we had drawn the game. That seemed to have been forgotten.
Second Captains

Jim McGuinness in action for UUJ against Noel McGuire of UCD during the 2001 Sigerson Cup Final. Photograph: Tom Honan/InphoJim McGuinness: Education proved the key to unlocking opportunity on and off field
Normally, you would like to have three weeks to prepare for a team but I knew in my heart it wouldn't be enough for Dublin. I spent all my spare hours – between working and preparing for the quarter-final – watching recordings of Dublin games. I was studying as deeply as possible. It meant that once we reached the All-Ireland semi-final and the boys began to turn their thoughts to Dublin I could say to them: I know what Dublin are about. I know what they are going to do and how they are going to do it and that's all you need to know.
So Dublin were floating around at the back of my mind when we played Armagh in the quarter-final. It was a day that showed us just how easily planning can fall apart.
I always look for good match-ups before games and on this instance we had six defenders suited to their attackers. Paddy McGrath was assigned Kyle Carragher, Neil McGee would shadow Jamie Clarke, Eamon McGee was on Stefan Campbell and so on. But when the ball went in, Eamon stayed at full back even though Campbell went out to wing half. We ended up making quick positional shifts all through the defence, so we only had one of the match-ups we had planned for.
And it was disorienting. It took a few minutes to work out what had happened on the sideline and we could sense that it was causing confusion through the team. Nothing was quite as it should be. So we were trying to fix it as the game went on, but Armagh were constantly rotating anyway, so even as we tried to get our shape back, the puzzle changed. We were thrown.
In addition, Armagh were really well set up. Paul Grimley had assisted Kieran McGeeney for a number of years at Kildare and now, the roles reversed, back at Armagh, they were well organised. They were playing with clarity and intensity and we were in a game. We had asked Christy Toye to man-mark Aaron Kernan whenever he came forward into our half and to play as a sweeper whenever he remained in his half of the field. But Kernan was very busy and Christy ended up giving him too much attention, so we didn't have the cover we had planned. It was as if there were little fires starting all over the pitch.
To outsiders, it just looked like a good half of football – and it was that. But we were completely addled. It took us most of the half to get it fixed. The match was taking shape during all that and it narrowed into one of those unflinching Ulster derbies that can look unruly in Croke Park. There was a lot of pushing and shoving going on and at one point Kevin Moran, our doctor, was flung to the ground by an Armagh player. There was some holding and even headlocks going on off the ball.
It was like the old Armagh. They were very intimidating and they were determined. But none of us on the sideline truly felt at any moment that we were going to lose the game. It was tough stuff and it was a gripping match and when it reached the hour mark, Michael Murphy just stepped up and Patrick McBrearty kicked a couple of excellent points, which won it for us. We got there. It was a victory based on experience. The boys knew how to win these games. So we were back in a semi- final and we all felt as if we had managed to do so while flying blind. Nobody noticed. And it meant we won without revealing anything of where we were at.
So now I could take out the folder on Dublin for real. It wasn't that I had been taking the earlier games for granted. The truth is that I was hedging my bets because of the enormity of the challenge that Dublin presented to all teams. On the bus on the way home after the Armagh game, all I said about Dublin was: "I know what they are about. I know what they are going to do and how they are going to do it and that's all you need to know."
We sat them down on Tuesday night and went through it all. Then we coached it. So it was an instant switch. I was talking with conviction and they knew it. Our theory was this: we are going to beat Dublin because they are going to give us a chance to. If we follow our plan to the letter, not only can we beat them – we can destroy them. And I believed that 100 per cent.
Dublin were excellent at what they did so they weren't going to change for us. Why would they? They were 10/1 on to beat us. Their attacking game was wonderful to witness and they seemed to have options all over the field. The consensus was that they had no real weak link.
I am not sure how many hours of my life I gave to watching Stephen Cluxton taking kickouts. Match after match, restart after restart, play and rewind, night after night. I was looking for patterns. I would watch the same game several times over and write notes. Each match might take four hours to watch. And for a long time, I was concluding that Cluxton didn't have a pattern, which was spooky. I came to believe he was just ad-libbing these clairvoyant kickouts which managed to initiate Dublin attacks while simultaneously turning opposition defences.
His deliveries were always sympathetic to the runner, falling into their path, guiding them into space and never asking the receiver to break stride. The quality of his play was admirable. But eventually I saw what I felt was a consistency of habit. If you don't push up on his kickout, then he goes short. If you do push up, he will chance the odd kick straight down the middle, but more often he will look to hit his half backs dropping back for the ball.
If you succeed in shutting that down, then he looks for Paul Flynn and Diarmuid Connolly. And both of those players like to get up to speed before he pings it to them so that when they catch the ball, they're off. They give their marker just the slightest wee push before they move and have the power and speed to sustain it. As they move, the half back begins to move on the inside and either Flynn or Connolly will look for him and slip the little reverse pass. So now they have the ball and are carrying at speed and the defence is stretched.
Everything Dublin do revolves around not crowding their full forwards until the ball is passed inside. Once that happens, you have two and three men cutting through at good, strong angles and it becomes a nightmare for defenders because the Dublin player on the ball seems to have three or four options.
Straight away, that gives the opposition a very simple and unpromising choice: take them on or don't take them on. I needed to know the pros and cons of both. If we didn't take them on and conceded the short kickout and let them come on to us, it would invite a deluge of scoring chances. But stepping up would be an extremely difficult task. Studying them gave me some appreciation of the work they must do on their kickout alone. And even before we played them, I admired where they were at.
But it wasn't as if Dublin just ignored their opposition. What they wanted was for other teams to play stupid. They worked out that if they pressed really aggressively on opposition defences and around the middle of the field, they could dictate the terms on which other teams attacked. Their big advantage was that their full back line is very physically strong and fast. So they programmed their forwards to hustle and harry like crazy and their half backs to push up. Just getting the ball out to the halfway line became an ordeal for teams. And this is where the Dublin management and team gambled on human nature.
Think of it: you're in Croke Park, in that sea of noise, and you are on a team that has been harassed again and again just to bring the ball out to centre field. You look up and you see that they have left their full back line open, just three backs marking your three forwards – or two if you are playing two up front. And you see all this space in front of you and you reason that if you give it in, your forward has a good chance of winning it.
And that is the illusion Dublin presented all summer. They had their full backs playing two and three metres in front of their men on whatever side the ball happened to be on. And they were expecting these long, hopeful passes in; everything Dublin did invited them. So they inevitably won the race for the ball. And it looks great: Dublin defenders storming out and cleaning up and the Hill crowd cheers and all of a sudden the pressure is back on the other team. Another attack has broken down and Dublin are full of movement and running and you are reeling.
It is demoralising. It is only a matter of time before somebody cracks and before a goal goes in and then the entire stadium is rocking. So our big question was: Do we give them their kickout or do we take them on? And we decided to take them on.
We did so much work on practising against their kick-outs. As it turned out, we only won three of 23 , but we got 1-1 from those possessions. We decided that our full forwards would mark their men. Our half forwards were also to mark – but they were to stay on the outside of the Dublin half backs so they could block out the little chip to the wing from Cluxton. It was the same with the midfielders: we needed to mark tight but stay on the outside of their midfielders. Frank McGlynn was detailed to mark Diarmuid Connolly. We put Anthony Thompson on Paul Flynn.
The trick for us, when we got inside the attacking half, was to not kick the ball directly towards our forwards. Instead, we would keep the pass away from the Dublin defenders. So when we were attacking, we weren't looking for the Donegal jersey; we were looking for the sky blue shirts of Dublin so we could play a pass 15 to 20 metres left or right of that jersey.
Then we worked on it: bombing through the ball from the half way line and a "Dublin" full back marking our forwards. We practised kicking it around the corner to force defenders to turn and adjust so that Michael Murphy or Paddy McBrearty or Colm McFadden, or whoever was inside, would be facing the goal when they got possession. It was up to our forwards to read the pass and because the Dublin defenders were no longer certain where the ball was going, it became a more even battle for possession.
We also spent hours and hours working at getting the ball out while under pressure and avoiding contact in the first and middle third. We put a big defensive press on them and got them to work the ball through it. Our hope was that breaking down what Dublin did into segments would make it all clearer.
Then we worked on our kickout. We absolutely knew that they would go man-to-man on us when we were restarting because they had destroyed Monaghan in the quarter-final on that alone. They had scored 2-8 off Monaghan's kickout. So we began working on this drill where we would pull everyone into our own half and alternate between Michael and Neil Gallagher as the target man for our delivery.
Paul Durcan has an incredible repertoire of pinpoint kick-outs that he has worked exceptionally hard to perfect. The boys had total confidence in him. So as Paul kicked, our half forwards were sprinting towards our half. But once we hit the 45-metre line, Ryan McHugh would slam on the brakes, turn and run the other way. It gave him two or three metres on his man and that is all Ryan needs. He is lightning quick and he is the smoothest ball carrier you could ask for. So we told Neil and Michael not to even bother trying to catch it; to just flick it into the path of our runners.
Then we had a situation where we could carry the ball straight at their full back line and give the ball when and where our forwards wanted. It should create overlaps for us. We got two goals in the second half from that alone. If we found ourselves in a situation where we were attacking and Dublin's defence was established, we imposed a condition on ourselves that none of our offensive players was allowed inside their 21-metre line unless the killer pass was on.
We played these little games of 10 versus 10 inside a half just to get used to keeping the ball out of contact in congested space. We got our second goal from that: Anthony made a strong run towards the Dublin goal in front of the Hill and Ryan timed his run so that the pass was definitely on. We planned to double up on their full forwards because we respected them so much.
The final and most important thing we worked on was this idea that we called "anticipating the anticipator". The more you watch Dublin, the more you see that it is not the guy on the ball you have to worry about as much as the guys coming through. You could see it again and again: a midfielder wins the ball and plays it to Alan Brogan. Once he takes possession, he has a runner coming through alongside him. Sometimes, when they are at their best, they have three men coming through. It is close to impossible to mark that – and they know it. So you have to be diligent and track those runs, time after time. The trouble is, it is not the same players making those runs. The entire Dublin team is capable of doing it.
We spent five days in Johnstown House at a camp and watched so much film that we came to know their patterns off by heart. We could talk through the move: ball is won, James McCarthy takes it at speed, lays it off, and the ball goes inside to Bernard Brogan. Nobody is watching McCarthy, who continues his run at three-quarter pace and then bombs through once he sees that Brogan has clocked him. Another slip pass. Point. By the time we left the camp, we were confident we knew their game well.
We used the final week to burn the gameplan into their minds. By the end, they were sick of listening to me. They were finishing my sentences for me and cutting across me. They knew it. They had it off. They were getting cranky at hearing the same thing over and over. That made me feel good because then I knew we were prepared.
At our last meeting, I wrote Donegal 3-16 Dublin 0-12 on the blackboard. That was the final score we were banking on. It actually ended 3-14 to 0-17. It wasn't too far off the mark because Dublin did kick unbelievable points in the first five minutes of the game. That was no surprise either. We had identified that danger before the game. We figured that if we do this, this and this, then the only option available to them will be long-range points. So on the basis of that, our last tactical decision was to set our defensive line outside our 50 by about five to seven metres. But we played too deep for the first five minutes. I think it was because of the start that Dublin made and the power and the crowd and noise. We were blown away initially and dropped into a siege mentality for a bit.
We were as vulnerable then as any other team they had played. If you don't deconstruct Dublin in your mind before you take the field against them, you are entering a different world. It doesn't matter how good a footballer you are; you cannot cope. And we were just about coping in the first few minutes. It was a barrage and it was relentless. Dublin got their goal chance and Papa [Durcan] made a brilliant save. If that had gone in, it would have been very difficult for us. And we went 0-09 to 0-04 down.
Standing on the sideline, we were so disappointed. We felt that there was a possibility that we could implode here. Maybe this is a bridge too far. And if that happened, so be it. That's the game. That is why we play. The big screen happened to show Jim Gavin, Declan Darcy and the rest of his backroom team sitting in the stand together and laughing about something. It was probably unfortunate timing for them, but we noticed it on the sideline. They had just moved into a five-point lead, 0-09 to 0-04, with not even 20 minutes on the clock. So you stand there expressionless and you have these little debates. If they keep up this rate of scoring, they're on to break 30 points. And you scan your team and you see men with real substance. We had some very tough characters out there, guys who had persevered through dark seasons and hateful losses and had come through all that.
The incremental pressure that Dublin apply is incredible to stand so close to. But the minutes went by and we could see that the boys were beginning to turn small things. Dublin's scoring rate slowed and we were starting to play through their press and then it became about a series of little things. Can we force them to do this? Can we just get that pass down to Colm?
One or two little things from the training field began to work for us and we became emboldened. Odhrán Mac Niallais floated this lovely point to make it 0-09 to 0-06 and that was the first time I felt a real jolt inside: this is on. Other things were happening. Dublin claimed a ball at midfield but Christy chased down Michael Darragh MacAuley and made a brilliant steal. The McGee brothers were getting out in front of Brogan and Eoghan O'Gara and we were starting to dominate that sector. Then Michael won this long ball that only Michael could win and slipped a ball to Colm and there was Ryan coming through, all alone. We had our goal.
Paul asked me what I wanted from the second half. I told him that I wanted to see Jim Gavin out of that f**king seat in the Hogan Stand and down on the sideline giving his substitutes a rub on the back when he was sending them in.
When we played St Eunan's in 2005 our boys had us backed. Now our boys had us backed to beat Dublin. We were available at 10/1. They had a few hundred euros on themselves. And we knew leaving the hotel that we were going to win. It was one of those rare days when everything you talk about and plan for and work on happens. I remember seeing Neil Gallagher watching Ryan and moving to his left before reaching for the ball and setting him in motion. Neil had become a vital figure in our gameplan. He was a leader and a towering old-fashioned midfielder with a deep game intelligence. Neil reads a game so well. So much flowed through him and he was the conduit for the attacks we created in the second half.
In some ways, it was unreal to watch because Dublin are a phenomenal football team. Their goalkeeper is probably the best in the history of the game. Their half forward line is the best I've ever seen. The only glitch in their system was the one we took them down on. So as unbelievable as it was, it also felt inevitable. It had to happen. And once the Dublin players lost their sense of certainty, they became as fallible and vulnerable as any other team.
Sometimes you can play in front of 80,000 people and it can feel no different from Ballybofey. The only time I was aware of the atmosphere was close to the end. We could see all the Donegal supporters beginning to wave and make noise. We couldn't figure what was going on and then we spotted it. They were waving goodbye to the Dublin fans leaving the Hill.
Somebody showed me a photograph of Michael Murphy on the field in Croke Park after Donegal had beaten Meath in the 2002 All-Ireland championship. He was looking straight up at Brendan Devenney. He wasn't quite 12-years-old and he had this shine in his eyes. You could see in the light of them how much he wanted all this.
When I started out with Donegal, I had no relationship with Michael. I'm not sure how many hours we spent over the four years on the phone and sitting down talking. He is unlike anyone I have ever come across in terms of his focus. A standard rule in psychology is that focus is a connection between two things. And Michael has this fierce connection between his day-to-day life and his football life. When we started out, I got the impression that he was watching and evaluating and working out what he felt was going to happen.
Once he was happy that there was substance behind the talk, he just went through the roof. He led. This is a guy who has played senior county football since the age of seventeen and has carried this constant expectation on his shoulders since then. He wears it lightly. Our group often feel as if we have the best footballer in the country in Michael and yet he is the one driving himself to the edge at training. He trains with ferocity. He is acutely aware of his position and responsibility. He gives a 100 per cent in every tackle drill and training session. And he may well be the best footballer in the country yet he is driving himself harder than anyone in the group.

I can't be arsed trawling through to separate paragraphs so good luck!
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: muppet on November 02, 2015, 05:10:41 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on October 31, 2015, 07:13:06 AM
Well he was hardly going to be nice and friendly to someone who instigated the betrayal of confidences to make a cheap Buck?

Will always admire Jim Mc Guinness.Spent a day at Lennoxtown in Jan 14 watching Celtic train,and it was just two days after Tyrone had surprisingly defeated Armagh heavily in Mc Kenna Cup.Jim asked me "What the hell happened?" Little did we both know that both his Donegal and Armagh would serve up a memorable AI Quarter final later that year

Does Jim mention this wonderful story in his book?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on November 02, 2015, 05:55:14 PM
EasyT and Muppet.I have a treasure trove of anecdotes like this.Was a bit surreal alright,having a bit of lunch and looking across the table at the likes of Danny Mc Grain etc.Felt a bit sorry for Jim Mc Guinness,out on a limb with the academy players,but I didn't look down my nose at him.Im not that type of person
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: easytiger95 on November 02, 2015, 06:46:04 PM
Perhaps you should put them down on paper Tony?

I'd read them. Can just see it now

"Little did I know: The Tony Fearon Story"

Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: muppet on November 02, 2015, 07:37:26 PM
Little did I know.....that was the year the All-Ireland Final moved to the fourth Sunday.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: 5 Sams on November 05, 2015, 10:37:18 PM
Do yourselves a favour lads...

http://www.obrien.ie/the-bloodied-field

Maybe not totally GAA but a superb book.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: muppet on November 06, 2015, 12:51:15 AM
Quote from: 5 Sams on November 05, 2015, 10:37:18 PM
Do yourselves a favour lads...

http://www.obrien.ie/the-bloodied-field

Maybe not totally GAA but a superb book.

Nice one.

Will have a look at it.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: GalwayBayBoy on November 06, 2015, 03:36:45 PM
Quote from: 5 Sams on November 05, 2015, 10:37:18 PM
Do yourselves a favour lads...

http://www.obrien.ie/the-bloodied-field

Maybe not totally GAA but a superb book.

Read that last Christmas. Outstanding book.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: easytiger95 on November 06, 2015, 05:29:26 PM
Read it a couple of weeks back - very good.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: J70 on July 25, 2016, 06:02:00 PM
Finally got Rory Kavanagh's book.

Surprisingly interesting read for someone who wasn't a player with a huge profile.

Focus is mainly on the McGuinness years, although there are some italicized "flashback" type sections here and there on earlier times. Very detailed insight into McGuinness's methods, way more in depth than what Kevin Cassidy revealed. The endless drills, the punishing fitness regime, especially that first year, the near two stone he had to pack on in muscle, the near-perfect tactics and gameplan and prescience of MCGuinness with that second Dublin semi, their failures, attack-wise in the first, the focus on Tyrone all through 2011, and so on. And also, he certainly doesn't contradict the pre-McGuinness perceptions about the partying Donegal team or the attitude of the likes of Tyrone and Armagh towards them back then.

One story concerns the post-2009 quarter finals, where the Dublin lads, who were hammered by Kerry, ended up joining the Donegal lads, who had been hammered by Cork, on the beer. Kavanagh ended up partying and crashing in Bernard Brogan's house in Castleknock. In another, he tells of either Brian McIvor or Mickey Moran  (can't remember which - there were a few such stories!) trying to reach the boys who had gone on the piss in Glenties instead of going training. Their respective phones rang one by one, until one of them eventually answered. Another one from the 2002 Derry game on how he was sat on the subs bench, listening to Ireland v Spain in the World Cup, and hardly noticing what was going on on the pitch in front of him (I remember that game well, as I was one of probably 200 people at the game until the soccer had finished, when the pubs emptied and the  rest of the fans left the Clones pubs and arrived around half-time).

Some interesting accounts of his personal tussles with the likes of Darren Hughes and Michael Dara McAuley and the different approach he would have taken with the likes of Tomas O'Se. He admits, fully, that he was not started in the 2014 Ulster final due to McGuinness not trusting him, worried he would be distracted by personal issues with Hughes, arising partly out of the league final earlier that year when he got the line after an altercation (he lost his boot, and when he came back to retrieve it, Hughes and another Monaghan player were throwing it about and wouldn't return it. Needless to say, he lost the head, and after more verbals, poked Hughes in the balls with the boot).

Well written by Liam Hayes too.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: johnneycool on September 07, 2017, 02:05:33 PM
Jackie starts the ball rolling;


http://www.the42.ie/jackie-tyrrell-kilkenny-hurling-2-3524338-Aug2017/ (http://www.the42.ie/jackie-tyrrell-kilkenny-hurling-2-3524338-Aug2017/)

He's pretty up front in his punditry so it may be a lot more interesting read on the Kilkenny set ups that Henry's and Brian Cody's versions.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: seafoid on September 07, 2017, 02:09:01 PM
Quote from: johnneycool on September 07, 2017, 02:05:33 PM
Jackie starts the ball rolling;


http://www.the42.ie/jackie-tyrrell-kilkenny-hurling-2-3524338-Aug2017/ (http://www.the42.ie/jackie-tyrrell-kilkenny-hurling-2-3524338-Aug2017/)

He's pretty up front in his punditry so it may be a lot more interesting read on the Kilkenny set ups that Henry's and Brian Cody's versions.
Henry is not very interesting. Cody is straight out of mythology and very closed
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: AZOffaly on September 07, 2017, 02:11:30 PM
Jackie has a right cut at Tipp. In fairness he is saying what most of their supporters were saying up until the last few years. Too many shapers, wanting the loose ball. Not enough grafters.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: johnneycool on September 07, 2017, 02:19:55 PM
Quote from: AZOffaly on September 07, 2017, 02:11:30 PM
Jackie has a right cut at Tipp. In fairness he is saying what most of their supporters were saying up until the last few years. Too many shapers, wanting the loose ball. Not enough grafters.

Well he was hardly going to shift too many copies in Tipp anyway.  ;D
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: AZOffaly on September 07, 2017, 02:29:47 PM
Quote from: johnneycool on September 07, 2017, 02:19:55 PM
Quote from: AZOffaly on September 07, 2017, 02:11:30 PM
Jackie has a right cut at Tipp. In fairness he is saying what most of their supporters were saying up until the last few years. Too many shapers, wanting the loose ball. Not enough grafters.

Well he was hardly going to shift too many copies in Tipp anyway.  ;D

You'd be surprised. If they fart in Kilkenny, they try to sniff it here first!
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: seafoid on September 07, 2017, 04:54:29 PM
Quote from: easytiger95 on November 02, 2015, 06:46:04 PM
Perhaps you should put them down on paper Tony?

I'd read them. Can just see it now

"Little did I know: The Tony Fearon Story"
Tony does the after dinner cicuit around East anglia when he is not being glamorous in Scotland and other mythologies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdCfuZMD3L0
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: take_yer_points on September 07, 2017, 07:09:51 PM
The Pursuit of Perfection: The life, death and legacy of Cormac McAnallen is launched this evening. Written by his brother Donal
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: ashman on September 07, 2017, 09:10:45 PM
Quote from: take_yer_points on September 07, 2017, 07:09:51 PM
The Pursuit of Perfection: The life, death and legacy of Cormac McAnallen is launched this evening. Written by his brother Donal

I heard the interview with DMA there now on Newstalk .  It was strange but fascinating .
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on September 08, 2017, 02:42:23 PM
Amazed the Royal Black Preceptory in Tyrone sent the Mc Anallen family a letter of condolence after the tragic death.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: RedHand88 on September 10, 2017, 12:46:40 AM
You reading the book Tony?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on September 10, 2017, 07:43:55 AM
No.Might get it though,probably will.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on September 10, 2017, 05:18:21 PM
Just bought it in Easons Newry! £9.99 offer and I had £2.55 also on my Easons Loyalty Card,net cost £7.44!
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Mayo4Sam on September 11, 2017, 06:19:28 PM
Jackie Tyrell's book sounds like it'll be very good.

On other books:
House of Pain - great read for a Mayo person at least, some great stories
Out of our skins - very good read
Working on a dream - dire, one of about three books I've ever stopped reading midway through
Until victory always - exactly what I expected from McGuinness, he complete lack f self awareness is hilarious, how he can completely berate someone for doing something, say he would never do anything like that and then proceed to explain him doing that exact thing
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: From the Bunker on September 11, 2017, 07:09:05 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on September 10, 2017, 05:18:21 PM
Just bought it in Easons Newry! £9.99 offer and I had £2.55 also on my Easons Loyalty Card,net cost £7.44!

How much did Parking cost you?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on September 11, 2017, 09:50:15 PM
Zilch.No charge for Sunday parking😁
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: BennyCake on September 11, 2017, 10:06:50 PM
Quote from: Mayo4Sam on September 11, 2017, 06:19:28 PM
Jackie Tyrell's book sounds like it'll be very good.

On other books:
House of Pain - great read for a Mayo person at least, some great stories
Out of our skins - very good read
Working on a dream - dire, one of about three books I've ever stopped reading midway through
Until victory always - exactly what I expected from McGuinness, he complete lack f self awareness is hilarious, how he can completely berate someone for doing something, say he would never do anything like that and then proceed to explain him doing that exact thing

Read House of Pain about Mayo football. Good read.

Currently reading McGuinness's book. Just got up to the part where hes rolled out the confidentiality contracts. It's about to get interesting!
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on September 12, 2017, 10:00:07 AM
There will no doubt be a raft of GAA books coming up to the Christmas season as usual,which I will buy but never get round to reading.Have found book about Cormac Mc Anallen riveting though.Couldn't resist the final chapters first dealing with the shock sudden death and aftermath,and am now engrossed in the early chapters and his time in my alma mater,St Pat's Armagh and the mention of a few teachers who were there in my day.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Ethan Tremblay on September 12, 2017, 10:19:28 AM
Read Working On A Dream a few years ago and thought it was a great book.  The manager is pure old school character as far as I remember and reading it now probably shows how far things have developed in terms of set up and professionalism in the past 10 years. 

The easy choice would be to lift Kieran Donaghys book and read about how glorious it is to play for Kerry and the fierce battle in Croke Park his generation have had.  Reading WOAD is a proper insight into how teams truly struggle, whether it be for players, recognition from the County Board or from their own fans. 
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on September 12, 2017, 11:17:52 PM
I see the Gooch has a book coming too.Available to pre order on Amazon
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Avondhu star on September 12, 2017, 11:39:34 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on September 12, 2017, 10:00:07 AM
There will no doubt be a raft of GAA books coming up to the Christmas season as usual,which I will buy but never get round to reading.Have found book about Cormac Mc Anallen riveting though.Couldn't resist the final chapters first dealing with the shock sudden death and aftermath,and am now engrossed in the early chapters and his time in my alma mater,St Pat's Armagh and the mention of a few teachers who were there in my day.
You're getting great value from your remedial reading class
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on October 06, 2017, 09:56:12 AM
Gooch's book in Easons Newry at 16.99.Got it online for £14.90. He is non too complimentary about Armagh's win in 02,reckons Kerry handed that one over on a plate
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: GetOverTheBar on October 06, 2017, 10:02:18 AM
Quote from: J70 on July 25, 2016, 06:02:00 PM
Finally got Rory Kavanagh's book.

Surprisingly interesting read for someone who wasn't a player with a huge profile.

Focus is mainly on the McGuinness years, although there are some italicized "flashback" type sections here and there on earlier times. Very detailed insight into McGuinness's methods, way more in depth than what Kevin Cassidy revealed. The endless drills, the punishing fitness regime, especially that first year, the near two stone he had to pack on in muscle, the near-perfect tactics and gameplan and prescience of MCGuinness with that second Dublin semi, their failures, attack-wise in the first, the focus on Tyrone all through 2011, and so on. And also, he certainly doesn't contradict the pre-McGuinness perceptions about the partying Donegal team or the attitude of the likes of Tyrone and Armagh towards them back then.

One story concerns the post-2009 quarter finals, where the Dublin lads, who were hammered by Kerry, ended up joining the Donegal lads, who had been hammered by Cork, on the beer. Kavanagh ended up partying and crashing in Bernard Brogan's house in Castleknock. In another, he tells of either Brian McIvor or Mickey Moran  (can't remember which - there were a few such stories!) trying to reach the boys who had gone on the piss in Glenties instead of going training. Their respective phones rang one by one, until one of them eventually answered. Another one from the 2002 Derry game on how he was sat on the subs bench, listening to Ireland v Spain in the World Cup, and hardly noticing what was going on on the pitch in front of him (I remember that game well, as I was one of probably 200 people at the game until the soccer had finished, when the pubs emptied and the  rest of the fans left the Clones pubs and arrived around half-time).

Some interesting accounts of his personal tussles with the likes of Darren Hughes and Michael Dara McAuley and the different approach he would have taken with the likes of Tomas O'Se. He admits, fully, that he was not started in the 2014 Ulster final due to McGuinness not trusting him, worried he would be distracted by personal issues with Hughes, arising partly out of the league final earlier that year when he got the line after an altercation (he lost his boot, and when he came back to retrieve it, Hughes and another Monaghan player were throwing it about and wouldn't return it. Needless to say, he lost the head, and after more verbals, poked Hughes in the balls with the boot).

Well written by Liam Hayes too.

Have to say Kavanagh's book was the most interesting of all the recent raft of GAA books released for me, recommend to anyone who hasn't read it.

As stated above, some great anecdotes in it. 
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: seafoid on October 06, 2017, 03:23:59 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on October 06, 2017, 09:56:12 AM
Gooch's book in Easons Newry at 16.99.Got it online for £14.90. He is non too complimentary about Armagh's win in 02,reckons Kerry handed that one over on a plate
They only beat one confident team in his 5 medal haul.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: seafoid on October 06, 2017, 03:27:04 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on September 08, 2017, 02:42:23 PM
Amazed the Royal Black Preceptory in Tyrone sent the Mc Anallen family a letter of condolence after the tragic death.

The death of a sportsman in his prime is shocking even if you don't follow the sport

To an Athlete Dying Young
BY A. E. HOUSMAN
The time you won your town the race
We chaired you through the market-place;
Man and boy stood cheering by,
And home we brought you shoulder-high.

Today, the road all runners come,
Shoulder-high we bring you home,
And set you at your threshold down,
Townsman of a stiller town.

Smart lad, to slip betimes away
From fields where glory does not stay,
And early though the laurel grows
It withers quicker than the rose.

Eyes the shady night has shut
Cannot see the record cut,
And silence sounds no worse than cheers
After earth has stopped the ears.

Now you will not swell the rout
Of lads that wore their honours out,
Runners whom renown outran
And the name died before the man.

So set, before its echoes fade,
The fleet foot on the sill of shade,
And hold to the low lintel up
The still-defended challenge-cup.

And round that early-laurelled head
Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead,
And find unwithered on its curls
The garland briefer than a girl's.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: BennyCake on October 06, 2017, 05:14:42 PM
Finished Jim McGuinness's book. Good read.

Amazing how close he came to not going back to education and onto the path to becoming a coach. Heartbreaking too reading about his two brothers dying.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on October 06, 2017, 07:30:19 PM
Disappointed with the f word which peppers every page of Gooch's book.This does not sound like the real Gooch,was the book ghost written?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: randomusername on October 06, 2017, 07:35:12 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on October 06, 2017, 07:30:19 PM
Disappointed with the f word which peppers every page of Gooch's book.This does not sound like the real Gooch,was the book ghost written?

Aren't they all ghost-written?

The Gooch is probably conscious of being seen as a bit of a wet blanket maybe so is over-compensating.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: tonto1888 on October 06, 2017, 08:43:48 PM
Quote from: BennyCake on October 06, 2017, 05:14:42 PM
Finished Jim McGuinness's book. Good read.

Amazing how close he came to not going back to education and onto the path to becoming a coach. Heartbreaking too reading about his two brothers dying.

I enjoyed his book a lot.
Looking forward to Philly McMahons. When is that out
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: tonto1888 on October 06, 2017, 08:44:18 PM
Quote from: randomusername on October 06, 2017, 07:35:12 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on October 06, 2017, 07:30:19 PM
Disappointed with the f word which peppers every page of Gooch's book.This does not sound like the real Gooch,was the book ghost written?

Aren't they all ghost-written?

The Gooch is probably conscious of being seen as a bit of a wet blanket maybe so is over-compensating.

Didn't realise he had one out. Any good? Minus the swearing of course
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: JoG2 on October 06, 2017, 10:17:25 PM
Quote from: BennyCake on October 06, 2017, 05:14:42 PM
Finished Jim McGuinness's book. Good read.

Amazing how close he came to not going back to education and onto the path to becoming a coach. Heartbreaking too reading about his two brothers dying.

Read it on holidays during the summer. Superb book, as is Rory Kavs
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on October 06, 2017, 10:23:46 PM
Tonto.Havent got it yet.Saw it in Easons Newry yesterday and did whst I usually do,ordered it online! Did read the section on AI Final.02
He gives Armagh little or no credit
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Asal Mor on October 06, 2017, 11:09:55 PM
Quote from: randomusername on October 06, 2017, 07:35:12 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on October 06, 2017, 07:30:19 PM
Disappointed with the f word which peppers every page of Gooch's book.This does not sound like the real Gooch,was the book ghost written?

Aren't they all ghost-written?
Think Paul Gavin wrote his own. Probably Liam Hayes too. Can't think of any others.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on October 06, 2017, 11:37:43 PM
Surely the likes of O'Rourke wrote his? I just never associated the Gooch with that sort of language (I have never seen the word used as much) or being an unsporting loser,which comes across.

Most County players nowadays are very well educated and should not need ghostwriters.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: The Subbie on October 06, 2017, 11:56:39 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on October 06, 2017, 11:37:43 PM
Surely the likes of O'Rourke wrote his? I just never associated the Gooch with that sort of language (I have never seen the word used as much) or being an unsporting loser,which comes across.

Most County players nowadays are very well educated and should not need ghostwriters.

Tony , why did you not think that the gooch would not use bad language ?
Surely you are not the hat innocent to believe that the earnest young man you see in print and on the Sunday game discussing matches is like that all the time ?

He is human like everyone else and has his faults like everyone else, he swears like everyone else does or doesn't sometimes.

Different strokes etc etc
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: BennyCake on October 06, 2017, 11:57:03 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on October 06, 2017, 10:23:46 PM
Tonto.Havent got it yet.Saw it in Easons Newry yesterday and did whst I usually do,ordered it online! Did read the section on AI Final.02
He gives Armagh little or no credit

Sure Armagh didn't win that AI. Kerry lost it  ::)
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: BennyCake on October 06, 2017, 11:59:59 PM
Quote from: The Subbie on October 06, 2017, 11:56:39 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on October 06, 2017, 11:37:43 PM
Surely the likes of O'Rourke wrote his? I just never associated the Gooch with that sort of language (I have never seen the word used as much) or being an unsporting loser,which comes across.

Most County players nowadays are very well educated and should not need ghostwriters.

Tony , why did you not think that the gooch would not use bad language ?
Surely you are not the hat innocent to believe that the earnest young man you see in print and on the Sunday game discussing matches is like that all the time ?

He is human like everyone else and has his faults like everyone else, he swears like everyone else does or doesn't sometimes.

Different strokes etc etc

I swear in everyday conversation all the time, but I find it unnecessary when it's used in books, songs etc. In the right context, it's fine. But it's not always appropriate.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on October 07, 2017, 08:13:56 AM
I was fortunate to meet Gooch at Old Trafford a few years ago,and a nicer more humble lad you couldn't wish to meet.

I have read probably at least a hundred sports biographies,and have never once read the word f..k in any of them,until this one.

While I'm not naive to think the lad never swears,I think it is wholly unnecessary in print,and reflects poorly on other wide fascinating narratives
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: galwayman on October 07, 2017, 09:19:51 AM
Quote from: T Fearon on October 06, 2017, 07:30:19 PM
Disappointed with the f word which peppers every page of Gooch's book.This does not sound like the real Gooch,was the book ghost written?
What do you mean it doesn't sound like the "real Gooch"?
Are you a friend of his or what?
He could talk like that all the time for all any of us know sure.
We only see the lad on tv
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: rrhf on October 07, 2017, 12:08:15 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on October 07, 2017, 08:13:56 AM
I was fortunate to meet Gooch at Old Trafford a few years ago,and a nicer more humble lad you couldn't wish to meet.

I have read probably at least a hundred sports biographies,and have never once read the word f..k in any of them,until this one.

While I'm not naive to think the lad never swears,I think it is wholly unnecessary in print,and reflects poorly on other wide fascinating narratives
Roy Keanes had an odd one in it. 
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Fear ón Srath Bán on October 07, 2017, 01:23:09 PM
The Pursuit of Perfection by Cormac's brother, Dónal Mc Anallen, had me in bits -- a very well written, though extremely harrowing, and brutally honest, account of our erstwhile captain.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: BennyCake on October 07, 2017, 02:58:10 PM
Quote from: rrhf on October 07, 2017, 12:08:15 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on October 07, 2017, 08:13:56 AM
I was fortunate to meet Gooch at Old Trafford a few years ago,and a nicer more humble lad you couldn't wish to meet.

I have read probably at least a hundred sports biographies,and have never once read the word f..k in any of them,until this one.

While I'm not naive to think the lad never swears,I think it is wholly unnecessary in print,and reflects poorly on other wide fascinating narratives
Roy Keanes had an odd one in it.

I've read dozen of sports autobiographies, and theyve all had their fair share of F words.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Avondhu star on October 08, 2017, 12:23:53 AM
Quote from: BennyCake on October 07, 2017, 02:58:10 PM
Quote from: rrhf on October 07, 2017, 12:08:15 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on October 07, 2017, 08:13:56 AM
I was fortunate to meet Gooch at Old Trafford a few years ago,and a nicer more humble lad you couldn't wish to meet.

I have read probably at least a hundred sports biographies,and have never once read the word f..k in any of them,until this one.

While I'm not naive to think the lad never swears,I think it is wholly unnecessary in print,and reflects poorly on other wide fascinating narratives
Roy Keanes had an odd one in it.

I've read dozen of sports autobiographies, and theyve all had their fair share of F words.
When you say autobiographies you mean the drivel ghost written by the local reformed alcoholic has been journalist
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Tyrdub on October 09, 2017, 09:05:11 AM
Quote from: Fear ón Srath Bán on October 07, 2017, 01:23:09 PM
The Pursuit of Perfection by Cormac's brother, Dónal Mc Anallen, had me in bits -- a very well written, though extremely harrowing, and brutally honest, account of our erstwhile captain.

I bought her dad this book for his birthday, he cried reading the back!!! Hasn't stopped thanking me for it since, says its a great read
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: The Iceman on October 09, 2017, 12:11:22 PM
Quote from: Tyrdub on October 09, 2017, 09:05:11 AM
Quote from: Fear ón Srath Bán on October 07, 2017, 01:23:09 PM
The Pursuit of Perfection by Cormac's brother, Dónal Mc Anallen, had me in bits -- a very well written, though extremely harrowing, and brutally honest, account of our erstwhile captain.

I bought her dad this book for his birthday, he cried reading the back!!! Hasn't stopped thanking me for it since, says its a great read
have it on pre-order over here in the states - looking forward to the read
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: tonto1888 on October 25, 2017, 08:51:59 PM
Just finished Philly McMahon's book. Was extremely good and well worth the read
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: T Fearon on October 28, 2017, 11:16:17 PM
So this year in recent months we have had books on

Jackie Tyrell

Cormac Mc Anallen

Philly Mc Mahon

Gooch

Jayo

Any more autobiographies?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Champion The Wonder Horse on October 28, 2017, 11:39:01 PM
I'd love someone to pen Dessie Ryan's life.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Rossfan on October 28, 2017, 11:58:12 PM
Larry Reilly
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: ONeill on October 28, 2017, 11:59:32 PM
Quote from: Rossfan on October 28, 2017, 11:58:12 PM
Larry Reilly

Volume 1
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: JohnDenver on November 29, 2018, 09:21:43 AM
Quick bump - anything interesting on the go this year?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: lurganblue on November 29, 2018, 09:28:42 AM
Quote from: JohnDenver on November 29, 2018, 09:21:43 AM
Quick bump - anything interesting on the go this year?

Obviously big Sean Cavanagh has one out. I have it on the list so more than likely will get it over Christmas.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: BennyCake on November 29, 2018, 09:52:03 AM
Davy Fitz has a book out. Should be a good read.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: johnnycool on November 29, 2018, 10:13:59 AM
Quote from: BennyCake on November 29, 2018, 09:52:03 AM
Davy Fitz has a book out. Should be a good read.

Davy's persecution complex is wearing thin at this stage.

Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: bannside on November 29, 2018, 10:27:08 AM
On the seventh day is a book i look forward to reading.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: spuds on November 29, 2018, 01:56:16 PM
Cora

https://www.google.ie/amp/www.the42.ie/cora-staunton-autobiography-named-irish-sports-book-of-the-year-4363598-Nov2018/%3famp=1
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: From the Bunker on November 29, 2018, 02:40:02 PM
Quote from: spuds on November 29, 2018, 01:56:16 PM
Cora

https://www.google.ie/amp/www.the42.ie/cora-staunton-autobiography-named-irish-sports-book-of-the-year-4363598-Nov2018/%3famp=1

A unbelievable talent! She has thrown her hand at Soccer, Rugby and Aussie Rules. Her medal collection is scary. Her biggest downfall has been she has often played as an individual in a team sport.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: donelli on December 11, 2018, 02:36:52 PM
Any reviews of the tim pat mccoogan book, the gaa and the war of independence?
dont see much else on the gaa front for christmas
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Main Street on December 11, 2018, 03:38:14 PM
Quote from: From the Bunker on November 29, 2018, 02:40:02 PM
Quote from: spuds on November 29, 2018, 01:56:16 PM
Cora

https://www.google.ie/amp/www.the42.ie/cora-staunton-autobiography-named-irish-sports-book-of-the-year-4363598-Nov2018/%3famp=1

A unbelievable talent! She has thrown her hand at Soccer, Rugby and Aussie Rules. Her medal collection is scary. Her biggest downfall has been she has often played as an individual in a team sport.
When did Cora have her downfall? after she won all those allstars and all those AI club and county medals?

Surely you're not taking about falling all the way down to Australia to play aussie ball ;D
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: rodney trotter on October 21, 2021, 01:40:13 PM
Aidan O Mahony's book shortlisted for Sports book of the year
Shane Carty's also on the list

Mickey Harte has a 3rd book out.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Silver hill on October 21, 2021, 04:05:39 PM
Appreciate its not a Gaa book but he did play for Cooley, but Rob Kearney's book last year was absolute dross. Someone got me it for Christmas. I wasn't surprised when I heard that it only shifted a few thousand copies. It was a recall of games played, no insight into the man on any level. Did nothing to dispel the theory that there wasn't much going on between the two ears.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: BennyCake on October 21, 2021, 04:45:52 PM
O'Mahony decent  enough player, but not someone that would stand out as having  an interesting story to tell. Rory Kavansgh too, although the McGuinness era might be interesting.

It's strange because players rarely let themselves be known to fans/media in their playing career. Interviews are bland, say nothing affairs, no room for quirky answers or a bit of off the cuff remarks, snippets of life in the camp etc. Then when they retire, they try to sell a book based on a decade of dull interviews and a bland demeanour in front of the cameras.

By the way, who are Shane Carty and Rob Kearney?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Saffrongael on October 21, 2021, 04:48:14 PM
Quote from: rodney trotter on October 21, 2021, 01:40:13 PM
Aidan O Mahony's book shortlisted for Sports book of the year
Shane Carty's also on the list

Mickey Harte has a 3rd book out.

Think if you mention "demons" or mental health, as they all do nowadays you will be on all the shortlists. O'Mahony would eat himself if he could
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: Taylor on October 21, 2021, 04:50:58 PM
Quote from: Saffrongael on October 21, 2021, 04:48:14 PM
Quote from: rodney trotter on October 21, 2021, 01:40:13 PM
Aidan O Mahony's book shortlisted for Sports book of the year
Shane Carty's also on the list

Mickey Harte has a 3rd book out.

Think if you mention "demons" or mental health, as they all do nowadays you will be on all the shortlists. O'Mahony would eat himself if he could

;D ;D
He wont like reading that here
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: J70 on October 22, 2021, 03:32:22 PM
Quote from: BennyCake on October 21, 2021, 04:45:52 PM
O'Mahony decent  enough player, but not someone that would stand out as having  an interesting story to tell. Rory Kavansgh too, although the McGuinness era might be interesting.

It's strange because players rarely let themselves be known to fans/media in their playing career. Interviews are bland, say nothing affairs, no room for quirky answers or a bit of off the cuff remarks, snippets of life in the camp etc. Then when they retire, they try to sell a book based on a decade of dull interviews and a bland demeanour in front of the cameras.

By the way, who are Shane Carty and Rob Kearney?

Yet Rory Kavanagh's book was really good (he partnered with Liam Hayes to write it, if I remember correctly). Not just for the McGuinness years, but for his insight into all that went on in the years before it.

I guess not every county lends itself to the tales of carefree mayhem followed by rigid monastic intensity that 2000s into 2010s Donegal senior team did, but on O'Mahoney's part, he has some potentially interesting insights to provide, both for his own personal exploits on the field (good and bad) and at team level. I'd be interested in hearing his own account of the marking job he did on Michael Murphy in the 2014 final, for example. Or the Donnacha O'Connor "strike" incident.

Whether the book is good or not will depend, as all such bios do, on how much he's willing to open up.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: fearsiuil on December 28, 2022, 07:07:17 PM
Anyone read Anthony Molloy's book?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: J70 on December 28, 2022, 08:59:31 PM
Haven't got hold of it yet, but it looks decent, and honest, from this excerpt about the aftermath of 1992 and his retirement:

https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/alcohol-abuse-depression-and-loss-of-marriage-how-winning-all-ireland-threatened-to-engulf-donegal-captain-42103873.html (https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/alcohol-abuse-depression-and-loss-of-marriage-how-winning-all-ireland-threatened-to-engulf-donegal-captain-42103873.html)
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: StephenC on December 28, 2022, 09:38:34 PM
Quote from: J70 on December 28, 2022, 08:59:31 PM
Haven't got hold of it yet, but it looks decent, and honest, from this excerpt about the aftermath of 1992 and his retirement:

https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/alcohol-abuse-depression-and-loss-of-marriage-how-winning-all-ireland-threatened-to-engulf-donegal-captain-42103873.html (https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/alcohol-abuse-depression-and-loss-of-marriage-how-winning-all-ireland-threatened-to-engulf-donegal-captain-42103873.html)

Thanks for sharing that J70 - I hadn't seen it. It seems well-written and (as you say) honest).
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: fearsiuil on December 29, 2022, 05:34:07 PM
Quote from: J70 on December 28, 2022, 08:59:31 PM
Haven't got hold of it yet, but it looks decent, and honest, from this excerpt about the aftermath of 1992 and his retirement:

https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/alcohol-abuse-depression-and-loss-of-marriage-how-winning-all-ireland-threatened-to-engulf-donegal-captain-42103873.html (https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/alcohol-abuse-depression-and-loss-of-marriage-how-winning-all-ireland-threatened-to-engulf-donegal-captain-42103873.html)
That's a cracking excerpt from the book, will have to get it. Spent a summer during mid 90s in Glenties area and his legend was real with stories of late nights etc. Think his brother had the Limelight at that stage with him working there or the pub next door? He was a fine fine player in his prime.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: J70 on December 29, 2022, 08:36:44 PM
It's interesting to hear that he ended up basically sick of and overwhelmed by the demands of doing the rounds with the cup.

I remember at the time you'd head home from college and you'd be hearing rumours about how certain parties were resentful of how much attention Molloy and McHugh were getting.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: mrdeeds on December 29, 2022, 09:17:40 PM
Anyone read Life begins in Leitrim? Wondering if worth a purchase?
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: ONeill on December 29, 2022, 09:39:27 PM
Loosely GAA related but Standing In Gaps by Seamus O'Rourke (Leitrim) worth a read.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: trailer on December 30, 2022, 11:17:45 AM
Quote from: fearsiuil on December 29, 2022, 05:34:07 PM
Quote from: J70 on December 28, 2022, 08:59:31 PM
Haven't got hold of it yet, but it looks decent, and honest, from this excerpt about the aftermath of 1992 and his retirement:

https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/alcohol-abuse-depression-and-loss-of-marriage-how-winning-all-ireland-threatened-to-engulf-donegal-captain-42103873.html (https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/alcohol-abuse-depression-and-loss-of-marriage-how-winning-all-ireland-threatened-to-engulf-donegal-captain-42103873.html)
That's a cracking excerpt from the book, will have to get it. Spent a summer during mid 90s in Glenties area and his legend was real with stories of late nights etc. Think his brother had the Limelight at that stage with him working there or the pub next door? He was a fine fine player in his prime.

Met Anthony a few times. Great fella. Glad he is well. Must buy the book.
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: befair on December 31, 2022, 05:43:10 PM
Grassroots GAA: The Second-Half
by PJ Cunningham
Great for dipping into, many great stories
Title: Re: GAA books
Post by: JimStynes on December 31, 2022, 10:20:59 PM
Any good GAA audio books