FROM BORROLOOLA TO MANGERTON MOUNTAIN

Travel and stories from Ireland's most beloved broadcaster.
MICHEAL O MUIRCHEARTAIGH

Micheál O Muircheartaigh's memoir From Dun Sion to Croke Park was a number 1 bestseller and has sold over 70,000 copies to date. What was evident throughout his memoir was the Micheal's interests and passions are far reaching and go far beyond the fields of Gaelic games.
In his new book, the follow-up to his memoir, Micheál brings us along on his travels around the world, and to the villages, townlands and sporting fields of the four provinces of Ireland. Above all, he tells the stories of these places and the fascinating people he encountered along the way - stories told as only Micheál can tell them.

Praise for From Dun Sion to Croke Park:

"Evocative ... What's perhaps most apparent is how often the great commentator is on the progressive of the GAA Debates" Sunday Independent

Micheál O Muircheartaigh emerges from his memoir as much more then the voice of Gaelic games" - Irish Times

"A National Institution" - Examiner

About the author:
Micheál O Muircheartaigh was born in 1930 in Dun Sion, near Dingle, Co. Kerry. He was educated in the Presentation Convent and the Christian Brothers School in Dingle, at Colaiste Iosagain in Baile Bhuirne, Co. Cork, and at UCD. He was a primary and secondary teacher for many years. Besides his renowned work as a radio commentator, he has long been champion of the Irish language. He and his wife, Helena, live in Dublin. Published by Penguin Ireland on 30 October 2006 at Euro24.99

The Dubs - Dublin GAA since the 1940s

The Dubs traces the ups and downs of the Dublin hurling and football teams during and since World War II. With a text by the unique Sean Og O Ceallachain, himself a former senior Dublin player and one of Ireland's best loved broadcasters, this beautifully illustrated book is an ideal guide to the fortunes of the GAA in Dublin over sixty years.

The book charts the glorious hurling years of the 1940s, 50s and 60s when the Dubs' featured in no less than six All-Ireland finals, and of course those wonderful and colourful September Sundays of the 1970s that witnessed great rivalry between Dublin and Kerry. Those heart-stopping confrontations brought a new dimension to Gaelic football and brought the crowds flocking to Croke Park for their epic battles.

The book also recounts the never forgotten four-game saga of 1991 between Dublin and Meath. Rivalry between the two counties was intense and on a summer's afternoon, after playing three heroic games, the two teams lined out for a fourth in front of a crowd of over 61,000. The following 70 minutes were some of the most anticipated in GAA history and the Dubs' loss by a single point illustrates how fiercely the battle was fought.

The Dubs provides an excellent reflection on how the fortunes of Gaelic games have ebbed and flowed in Dublin down through the years as well as a wonderful trip down memory lane into GAA history and politics.
The Author

Sean Og O Ceallachain, now in his eighties, is a journalist, author and broadcaster. His Sunday night result programme on RTE radio, Gaelic Sports Results, is now the longest continuously broadcast radio feature in the world.

The book will be published on the 20th October 2006 by Gill & Macmillan E19.99/STG£14.99. For further information, please contact Sinead McCarthy, Publicist, Tel: 01 50009521; E-mail: smacarthy@gillmacmillan.ie or Lisa Buckley, Publicity Assistant, Tel: 01 5009523; E-mail: lbuckley@gillmacmillan.ie

The Penguin Ireland Guide to the Championship 2006
By Damien Cullen
The Irish Times

Damien Cullen is back again with a second Guide to the Championship after the success of his first edition last year.

With facts and figures bursting from the cover, this is a book no self respecting GAA fan can be without in 2006.

It is an indispensable handbook containing detailed analysis of each county's senior panels, last year's results and statistics, comprehensive information of fixtures and a guide to the key GAA towns and stadiums.

It leaves no stone unturned with hurling football, camogie and ladies football all covered. Costing just Eu7.99, it is well worth the expenditure.

The All-Ireland Dream
By Seamus McRory

Featuring over 25 in-depth interviews with GAA stars, the All-Ireland ream give a rare insight into the many of the people who have made the GAA Ireland's premier sporting organisation.

From famous footballer and hurlers, such as Brian Corcoran, Trevor Giles and 1940's icon Murray and Higgins, to leading GAA officials, team managers and referees, best selling author Seamus McRory unfolds six decades of Gaelic Games achievement.

Delve into the lives of the players as you read interviews with James McCartan, Pat Henderson, Joe McKenna, John O'Keeffe, Tony Doran and Frank McGuigan. Read the views of eminent referees Dickie Murphy and John Bannon. Find out what former GAA President Peter Quinn thinks will happen in challenging times ahead. Discover what goes on behind the scenes from RTE's Marty Morrissey and TG4's Jarlath Burns.

Spanning the decades or the GAA's unique history, THE All-Ireland dream will inspire the next generation of ‘GAA Greats'.

Dessie: Tangled up in Blue
by Dessie Farrell with Seán Potts

Dessie Farrell has been involved in the inter-county scene for a number of years. In this compelling read, he speaks candidly about his time playing under a number of managers.
He was a key member of the Dublin team that bridged a 12-year gap when they won the Sam Maguire in 1995. Throughout his career he has won every available honour at club and county level.

His exploits off the field have also helped him come to prominence. His work with the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) has raised the issue of the rights of Gaelic players.
In his book, Dessie Farrell reveals to the reader life beyond a dressing room. He portrays the worried mind of a Gaelic footballer for whom success has proven costly in his personal life.

Farrell is depicted as a troubled man. He has become pre-occupied by the fear of failure, troubled by regret, worried about guilt. In doing so, he describes the myths surrounding Gaelic football and the deep effect which football has had on his life and on those around him.

This is the first time an Irish sportsperson provides a unique insight into the world of an elite athlete. Farrell takes the reader through the intense preparation, the training, and the mind games which GAA players use today. In seeking success, there is no room for sentiment.

Dessie: Tangled up in Blue by Dessie Farrell (with Evening Herald Sports Journalist Seán Potts) is published in original paperback by Townhouse, Dublin. Price: €16.99

Dennis Walsh: Hurling
– The Revolution years

“Sometime all the planets are aligned – the greatest game, the greatest era and the greatest hurling writer the sport has known being at his prime through it all. Hurling – The Revolution years is masterly and as enduring as the wonders we saw on the field.”

Tom Humphries' comments of Dennis Walsh' book sum up what is a fine account on a defining era in the game.
Walsh, the main sportswriter of the Irish edition of the Sunday Times is a former sportswriter of the year and winner of the McNamee award for GAA writing. In this book he proves his worth.

Clare's defeat of Offaly in the 1995 decider altered the game of hurling. A decade of huge drama, glorious victories for teams such as Wexford and Offaly followed as teams challenged for the right to become All-Ireland hurling champions.

Walsh describes life for Ger Loughnane as Clare manager and Liam Griffin during his tenure with Wexford. He depicts an unprecedented picture of life behind the scenes at the top level of senior inter-county hurling.

40 original interviews are conducted which include candid conversations with players such as DJ Carey and Anthony Daly.

This is a compelling read for any GAA fan.

Denis Walsh: Hurling – the Revolution years is published by Penguin Ireland. Price: €14.99

Book Review: God and the Referee

God and the Referee is a collection of the best sayings of GAA players, managers, officials and observers since hurling and football began.

From Shakespeare to Spillane, from the Brehon Laws to Breandan O hEithir, anyone who made an apt or pithy comment about Gaelic games can be found.

The asides of radio commentators and the fine speeches of GAA officialdom can be found among the anonymous witty comments of the fans and webloggers.

A wide range of comment and opinion on tactical debates, changing lifestyles, the unique allegiance to club and county, the players and the managers as seen through the eyes of their peers, and the great GAA controversies are all recorded in one book for the first time.

God and the Referee by Eoghan Corry is published by Hodder Headline Ireland on June 14. Price Eu8.99.

The Sons of Sam
Ulster's Gaelic Football Greats

by Seamus Maloney

In 1933 Cavan were the first provincial team to wrest the Sam Maguire Cup from the stranglehold that the southern counties had on the trophy. After five remarkable wins, the Breffni men passed the baton to the now legendary Down teams of the 1960s. After nearly twenty-five years in the wilderness, Ulster rose again with Down, Donegal and Derry achieving four consecutive wins in the 1990s, laying the groundwork for a further renaissance when Armagh and Tyrone brought the All-Ireland title back to their respective counties for the first time in their histories.
Based on exclusive interviews with the men involved in these famous victories, including Mick Higgins, Paddy Doherty, Noel Hegarty, Brendan Tierney and Cormac McAnallen, this is the fascinating story of Ulster's Sons of Sam'. All of the celebrated teams are here, as are the star players who line Ulster's GAA Hall of Fame: John Joe O'Reilly, Joe Lennon, Mickey Linden, Martin McHugh, Anthony Tohill, Kieran McGeeney, Peter Canavan and more.
Packed with entertaining anecdotes, blow-by-blow accounts of each classic match, and illustrated with well over one hundred excellent photographs, this is the essential book for all followers of Ulster Gaelic football.

About the Author:
Seamus Maloney works for the Irish News in Belfast. While he inherited a love of Gaelic football from his Donegal father, hurling is his real sporting passion and he follows his native Antrim with the eternal hope that this year could be their year. He also plays, when selected, for the Latharna Og cub in Larne.

From Dún Síon to Croke Park

The Autobiography
by
Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh
Published in hardback by Penguin Ireland on 7th October 2004, price €23.99
Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh, the face and voice synonymous with Gaelic Games has, after much persuasion, put pen to paper and written his autobiography.
Here, Micheál tells his own story and, by extension, the story of the GAA over the past half-century, with all the humour, erudition and wisdom for which he is so well loved.
Micheál began his career as a broadcaster in 1949 when, as a student teacher, he took part in an open competition at Croke Park for a post as assistant commentator.
He got the job, and the rest is Irish broadcasting history.
His encyclopaedic knowledge of Gaelic games is renowned.
It's not uncommon for viewers at home to turn down the sound on their television sets and bring the radio in to the living room to hear Micheál's commentary on a live game.

CROKE PARK : A HISTORY' in bookstores from Wednesday 15th September 2004

Price: Eu30.00  

Croke Park: A History

Launched by An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern and Seen Kelly, President of the GAA

Croke Park: A History, the book detailing the history of Ireland's cathedral of sport, was launched by An Taoiseach and the President of the GAA.  The book, written by Tim Carey and published by The Collins Press is a tribute to Croke Park, the stadium that has become a magnificent sports icon, central to Ireland's national consciousness and coincides with the stadium's completion.

Launching the book the Taoiseach said, “Croke Park: A History is a compelling read. Every page sparkles with the energy and life that is at the heart of this stadium. It is an invaluable testimony to the many individuals who brought Croke Park to where it is today; to those who devoted their lives to working within these grounds; to the many players who have brought us electrifying games over the decades; and, of course, to the thousands of supporters who make the ‘pilgrimage' to Croke Park each year.”      

President of the GAA Séan Kelly welcomed the publication of the book and said it was a valuable contribution to the ever-growing library of publications dealing with historical aspects of the Association.

“Croke Park has been the spiritual home of the Association since it was first acquired by the GAA in 1913. It is a place rich in history and folklore, a place that has engendered countless memories for successive generations of Irish people, a place rich in the very essence of what makes the GAA special.”
He said it was “appropriate that a book chronicling the story of the great stadium should be published at a time when the ‘new Croke Park was embarking on a new and exciting chapter of its history.”    
 
‘Croke Park : A History', sponsored by Coca-Cola Bottlers Ltd. tells the story of the arena that is headquarters to our largest sporting and cultural organization, the GAA and the many dramas it has witnessed. Since it began, the grounds of Croke Park have become almost consecrated, with crowds of onlookers experiencing every emotion possible from anxiety, anticipation, pride, pain, suffering and passion to honour, glory and triumph. It has become a central part of Irish life and today it is a symbol of modern Ireland.      

This history tells the story of ‘Croker' from the late nineteenth century to the present day. Beginning with the earliest All-Ireland finals, the narrative works on two levels. Firstly, the history of the stadium in the broad context of the development of the GAA and Gaelic games is chronicled and features the great games, personalities and dramas it has played host to ö Bloody Sunday, the ‘Thunder & Lightning' final, etc. The many non-GAA events staged at Croke Park are also detailed ö the Tailteann Games, Mohammed Ali fight, the Special Olympics, etc. Threaded through this is its architectural development, which culminated in the current spectacular stadium.

Secondly, there are reminiscences and recollections of great players, officials, media figures and supporters associated with the stadium interspersed throughout the main story. The most impressive collection of photographs of the hallowed ground were sourced for this book, many of which have never been published before.      

Tim Carey is also author of ‘Mountjoy ö The Story of the Prison', the best-selling history of Mountjoy Prison and ‘Hanged for Ireland'. A graduate of Trinity College and Universxity College Dublin, he is currently Heritage Officer with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.  
   
‘CROKE PARK : A HISTORY' in bookstores from Wednesday 15th September 2004. 
Price: Eu30.00  

Clare GAA
In old Photographs

by Seamus O'Reilly

Seamus O'Reilly has complied a fascinating collection of old images of Clare GAA. Each picture, whether it depicts an event, a team or an action shot from a game, has a detailed caption full of history and interesting anecdotes.

The teams, the individuals, the characters are all here at club, county, inter-provincial and national level. But perhaps most importantly this book brings the people and the game they love to life!

The 1990's are given special prominence. The senior footballers breakthrough under John Maughan in 1992, Mike Mac's Junior hurlers All Ireland title in 1993. Then along came the Ger Loughnane managed mould breaking side of 1995 when decades of despair was wiped away with Anthony Daly led senior hurlers.

This is a book for all Clare GAA fans, a pictorial record of all facils of Gaelic games in Clare.

O'Brien Pocket of history of Gaelic Sports

by Eamonn Sweeney

A concise and fascinating introduction to Gaelic sport, covering football, hurling, camogie and handball.

The All Ireland Hurling and Football finals are the largest amateur sports events in the world, drawing huge crowds and bringing many parts of the country to a standstill. This book deals with the origins of these games and their revival, the history of the championships and the GAA, the main rules and scoring systems, famous teams and players, great GAA grounds, All-Star awards and tours, the women's games, famous commentators, and the coveted trophies that make it all worthwhile.

Gaelic sports, particularly football and hurling, have been hugely popular. County rivalry is as passionate today as it ever was and it is the ambition of every player to represent their county in Croke Park. This is a concise and lively account of the players, the teams and the history of Gaelic sports.

“Irish people have always had a natural love of games and gambling on games and Gaelic sports can boast an ancient lineage. The very fact of being called Gaelic games invokes the Pre-Christian era, a claim not altogether false. Of the four sports dealt with here - hurling, football, camogie and handball - hurling can lay the strongest claim to being an ancient game.”

The Author
EAMONN SWEENEY is a sports writer, novelist and playwright. An avid sports fan, he has written about Gaelic sports for the Irish Examiner and Sunday Independent. He is the author of the bestselling Munster Hurling legends and the Road to Croker, and a regular contributor to TV and radio sports programmes. He lives in West Cork.