John Doyle even :-(

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 22/12/2011 09:37:03    1086987

'God and the referee: unforgettable GAA quotations' is a good read. It's a book of quotations from just about about every GAA source over the years covering just about every GAA topic, most are very humourous.

A season of Sundays is a book with GAA photos of a particular season which hasnt much reading but is usually a nice collection to have all the same.

By the way who wrote the book 'The Club' that you're all referring to?

Goodfella, Tir (None) - Posts: 1652 - 22/12/2011 10:16:31    1087002

Scríobh Christy O' Connor The Club - a brother of Jamsie O' Connors.

Culann (Dublin) - Posts: 2306 - 22/12/2011 10:30:50    1087009

Thanks Culann, must suss it out.

Goodfella, Tir (None) - Posts: 1652 - 22/12/2011 11:28:10    1087039

Working on a dream with the waterfood footballers is the best book ive read
Oisins book is excellent
Donal ogs,daragh o ses very good also
Codys is awful

dubs4eva (Dublin) - Posts: 484 - 22/12/2011 13:22:19    1087100

"Kings of September" A fantastic read, not just for Offaly fans but for any gaa fans.

Goatsucker (Offaly) - Posts: 265 - 22/12/2011 17:36:00    1087193

jack o'connors book is the best ive read....also a hurling book i read, the revoultion years or something was very good

cboyle92 (Down) - Posts: 184 - 22/12/2011 19:14:12    1087227

Yeah i liked jacks.very honest.I liked dara o Se book too but he was too nice about everyone.Got the feeling he was holding back.

TheRoad (Galway) - Posts: 1339 - 22/12/2011 19:40:01    1087240

anyone take a gamble on Kevin Cassidy's book ????

dubbydave. (Dublin) - Posts: 3927 - 29/12/2011 21:32:36    1087826

I read Jack OConnors Book thought it was very good Darragh OSe book not great Mick O Dwyers book poor
Im looking foward to getting Mickey Hartes book and Joe Kiernans Jimmy Dennihan has a new book would
like to read it

wfkerry (USA) - Posts: 933 - 30/12/2011 13:59:19    1087883

Mickey Hartes book is a continuation of the first, more or less. Moreso focuses on the 2009 season but dips into the past to add a bit of substance to things. Its much more than just a GAA book though. A friend of mine who doesn't watch a ball being kicked thought it was a great read.

Got Michael Duignans for Xmas and couldn't put it down, fantastic read. Much like Hartes, it puts GAA into perspective

Joe Kernan's is next on my list, along with some of the other non-GAA names mentioned here. Anyone into caoching/management should give Clive Woodward a read, brilliant.

EnolaGay (Tyrone) - Posts: 653 - 30/12/2011 14:14:00    1087889

in my order of preference 1. Kings of September (outstanding Foley does a great job. As another poster said - excellent for all GAA fans)
2. Hurling the Revolution years - i know nothing about hurling but this is superb. Sports book of the year 2005 or 2006. Amaziong read, charts Clare, Offaly, Waterford AND KERRY hurlers going into Cork and Wexford - thorughly recommend
3. Keys of the Kingdom (Jack O@Connor) or Mickey Harte's first book - Kicking down heavens door. Micky's second book has very little new and doesn't come near Foley's other book - Kings of September

The Club is all right, probably next with Oisin McConville and Liam Hayes coming slightly behind it. The Club could be any club in Ireland which is its beauty but Micko's and Cody's book are not great. After Oisin i'd be throwing in Tangled up in Blue by Dessie Farrell or Colm O'Rourke's book

Haven't read Kernan yet or Duignan's. I hear Duignan's is good.

seasiderblues (Meath) - Posts: 353 - 03/01/2012 09:13:17    1087937

I got the book 'A History of Croke Park' by Tim Carey from my wife for Christmas. Itsa very interesting read. Full of quotes, interesting facts and contributions from various different people steeped in CLG. Mholfainn go mór é.

Culann (Dublin) - Posts: 2306 - 03/01/2012 09:15:36    1087938

I know its too late for the christmas stocking now but This is our Year was a very good read imo. Probably more so for someone from an Ulster county, or I suppose anyone interested in the whole Kevin Cassidy mess. I have to say (and i might just be because Im from Donegal) that Kevin Cassidys bits are the best. They're all good, but his stand out way above the rest for me. Thats probably just because I obviously have more of an interest in The Donegal happening though. I would definately recommend it though

up_donegal (Donegal) - Posts: 659 - 03/01/2012 12:20:43    1088017

I know it's a few years old now but I got my hands on a copy of Paddy Russell's book over the holidays. It's a good read and you have to take your hat off to him, and his family, for their sheer dedication to the GAA. It's also an eye-opener as to the personal pressure and affect that over the top criticism has on officials; he and his wife had a very hard time after the 1995 final, the battle of Omagh and the Paul Galvin 'slapping the book' incident. To be fair to him he was very gracious to the Tyrone team after the 1995 final when he said that Tyrone didn't blame him and that most of the difficulties actually arose over the Charlie Redmond sending off and not the Peter Canavan point. He was very scathing of Redmond and the Dublin media and his wife is still very annoyed about it. Who would be a referee?

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9817 - 03/01/2012 14:23:05    1088090

Yeah I read 'This is our Year' over the Christmas too. Great book, it perfectly catches the mood and anticipation in the build up to the championship from each of the interviewees and then the disappointment and anlysis when it goes wrong. Personally I found the Barry Owens parts more interesting than the others, fascinating to be able to read in depth how that all went down.

And now I've read the whole Cassidy thing I have to make a couple of points:
1. Both Bogue and Cassidy are gushing in their praise of McGuinness. Fair enough, Jim doesn't want that but we're dealing with grown ups here. Did anything he say make anyone more likely to beat Donegal next year? I don't think so. It's so petty and paranoid and I don't just mean Donegal here. McGeeney is the exact same. Players need to talk more to the media. I've said it before and I'll say it again... The GAA has a lot to learn about self-promotion.
2. I completely disagree with this idea that it's okay to 'be an absolute animal on the pitch and a gentleman off it'. The reason why we all like sport, why anyone does, is that it tests peoples characters to the limit, that's what is so amazing about a moment like Cassidy getting that last minute score. But if his character is someone who aspires to encourage others to get involved with dirty play or trash talk or to encourage a ref to wrongly send someone off, then that says something else about his character too whether he likes it or not.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 03/01/2012 15:31:25    1088134

1. A Rare Ould Season....picture book for the Dublin players fund!
2. The Dubs....The road to Croker!

Regards,

Snufalufagus....Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 03/01/2012 16:24:50    1088174

Did anyone read the Croke Park Official Annual? Its worth having in the jacks. Its easy and light reading. Mholfainn é a cheannach agus a léamh.

Culann (Dublin) - Posts: 2306 - 04/01/2012 18:12:35    1088649

I'd be very interested in reading that Paddy Russell book. Go raibh maith agat Ulsterman.

Culann (Dublin) - Posts: 2306 - 04/01/2012 18:17:59    1088654

Raising the Banner by Ger Loughnane is still a great read, honest and makes me think a sequel is badly needed considering his fall out with the players from the great Clare team and his tenure as Galway manager could make great reading.

bananapublican (Leitrim) - Posts: 878 - 04/01/2012 21:16:18    1088788