Great GAA Rivalries

Great GAA Rivalries

Author: John Scally

Publisher: Black & White Publishing Ltd

Published: 2019-10-24

Total Pages: 318

ISBN-13: 1785302949

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Fans always answer in the affirmative when their team asks: Will you still love me tomorrow? However, for many GAA fans it is their rivalries that guide them and define them. This unique book celebrates the age-old rivalries that have energised and enlivened the GAA. Based on exclusive interviews with a veritable Who's Who of the great and the good of Gaelic Games, here are remarkable insights into the controversies, epic matches and the thrilling events on and off the field which great GAA rivalries have generated. Full of arresting anecdotes that represent each county, these pages capture the extraordinary pride and passion of Ireland's greatest national treasures: Gaelic football, hurling, ladies football and camogie. John Scally is a lecturer in Trinity College, but in his spare time is a writer and broadcaster. Since 1992 he has written 40 books with cumulative sales of over 150,000 copies. He is the author of the biggest selling GAA book in Ireland, Raising the Banner:The Biography of Ger Loughnane, and for a few years his biography of Tony Ward was the biggest selling rugby book in Ireland. 'Will bring back a treasure trove of great memories for GAA fans.' Cyril Farrell 'There have been many rivalries through the decades and John Scally will navigate you through them as only he can, with great insight and knowledge and an unrivalled love for our native games.' Donal Ryan 'Pulsates with the thrills and spills of epic contests, clashes and controversies. A must read book for GAA fans. It reminds us of who we are.' John O'Mahony


Great GAA Rivalries

Great GAA Rivalries

Author: John Scally

Publisher:

Published: 2020

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 9781785302923

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


101 Great GAA Controversies

101 Great GAA Controversies

Author: John Scally

Publisher: Black & White Publishing

Published: 2022-10-13

Total Pages: 349

ISBN-13: 178530416X

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101 Great GAA Controversies is a collection of fascinating accounts from the field with appearances from some famous and infamous personalities, like Joe Brolly, Ger Loughnane, Pat Spillane and Babs Keating. With stories from the last 130 years, it is the major controversies that turn national games into our nationwide issues, often infuriating but never boring! Revealing insights into the Cork hurling strikes; Bloody Sunday; The Battle of Omagh; the Tony Keady affair; Louth's lost Leinster final; Kerry's undressing; the Sky Sports deal and of course the gripping events of the never to be forgotten hurling summer of 1998, this collection is bound to enthral all fans of Gaelic Games and might even settle a score or two. Including epic tales from Gaelic football, women's football, camogie and hurling, this book is sure to entertain fans of every GAA sport and continue the lore of the Gaelic Games.


100 Great GAA Moments

100 Great GAA Moments

Author: John Scally

Publisher: Black & White Publishing Ltd

Published: 2018-10-16

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 1785302329

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In its long and rich history the GAA has provided many great moments. This book is a celebration of one hundred of the best of them: the Thunder and Lightning Final; the Polo Grounds Final; Seamus Darby's goal in 1982; the epic clashes between Dublin and Meath in 1991; Leitrim's Connacht title in 1994; Clare ending 81 years in the wilderness; Wexford becoming home to `the Riverdance of Sport' and the GAA opening up Croke Park to other sports. These moments and many more are featured in these pages. Based on exclusive interviews as seen through the eyes of the key personalities who shaped them, it goes behind the scenes and offers unique eyewitness accounts of the dramas on and off the pitch that captivated, enthralled and occasionally infuriated the nation. New light is shed on old controversies, fresh insights into the players and personalities that linger long in the memory are provided, and the epic contests that turned the national games into the national soap opera are recounted by the men and women who were there in the heat of the battles. With all 32 counties included, 100 GREAT GAA MOMENTS is a treasure trove of the incredible people and events that have made the games what they are today.


101 Great GAA Teams

101 Great GAA Teams

Author: John Scally

Publisher: Black & White Publishing Ltd

Published: 2021-10-14

Total Pages: 354

ISBN-13: 1785303724

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They are the chosen few who have drunk from the chalice of immortality. They are the men and women who have been part of the 101 GREAT GAA TEAMS. For GAA fans, our great teams bring colour and richness to our lives. When our team is on a winning streak it imbues us with a deep feeling of solidarity and a glow that uplifts the spirit. Great teams have that special power which energises and connects us. They inspire, make our hearts beat faster and let us dare to dream. All the great and the good are here: Jim Gavin's Dublin; Brian Cody's Kilkenny, Mick O'Dwyer's Kerry; Christy Ring's Cork; Seán Boylan's Meath; Ger Loughnane's Clare; Mickey Harte's Tyrone; Nicky Rackard's Wexford; Galway's three-in-row; Liam Sheedy's Tipperary; Mayo's team of the 50s and many more. 101 GREAT GAA TEAMS is a fantastic tribute to the great teams in football, hurling, camogie and ladies' football that have thrilled fans down the years.


The People's Games

The People's Games

Author: John Scally

Publisher: Black & White Publishing Ltd

Published: 2020-10-01

Total Pages: 301

ISBN-13: 1785303279

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For over 130 years the GAA has been at the heart of Irish life. Now, in The People’s Games, John Scally tells the compelling stories of the men and women behind the rich history of Gaelic Games. Since the introduction of television Gaelic Games have become a huge entertainment industry, yet at their core remain deeply embedded in the local community. They shape the national conversation and lift the mood of the country. Hurling, ladies’ football, camogie and Gaelic football are Ireland’s greatest national treasures. Gaelic Games are part of the DNA of the Irish Race, and the people are the beating heart of the Games. This comprehensive collection captures the GAA’s evolving history, the fabled heroes, the controversies, the scandals, the pulsating games, the fans, the centrality of the clubs, and the unending and heart-stopping drama. Full of fascinating insights, amusing anecdotes, thrilling tales and new revelations about famous incidents and epic encounters, this volume brings the people’s games alive in all their vibrancy. Based on exclusive interviews, this captivating compendium explores the rich history of the men and women of the GAA who made it all happen.


The Heart and Soul of Kerry Football

The Heart and Soul of Kerry Football

Author: Weeshie Fogarty (decd.)

Publisher: The O'Brien Press Ltd

Published: 2016-09-05

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13: 1847178979

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Why has Kerry, in the rugged south-west, won more All-Ireland Gaelic football championships than any other county? It's a fascinating question, and The Heart & Soul of Kerry Football provides plenty of answers. Weeshie Fogarty tells stories about the great players he played with and against, Kerry's intense rivalries and its outstanding captains. He extols the handing down of a unique tradition, and explains why the increasing profile of girls and women bodes well for the future of the sport. Weeshie also selects his all-time most skilful/classy/stylish team, which is sure to spark debate in the homes and pubs of Kerry. Gaelic football is the very heartbeat of Irish life and culture, both in the Kingdom and beyond, and players and coaches from the most successful county have grown the sport in Ireland and internationally. This unique book reveals the living heart and soul of Kerry football.


Out of Control

Out of Control

Author: Cathal McCarron

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2016-10-20

Total Pages: 314

ISBN-13: 1471157857

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Cathal McCarron is a Tyrone footballer, talented enough to be nominated for an All-Star twice in the last three years. However, he hid a dark secret for years, a gambling addiction which almost destroyed him. While effectively on the run in London in 2013, his life had spiralled so viciously out of control that he ended up having sex with a man for a gay porn website. After getting paid, he walked across the road and gambled half his earnings in a betting shop. When footage subsequently leaked, McCarron could no longer hide his terrible secret, and keep running from his troubled past. He slowly began the long road back to rehabilitation. After a year out of the inter-county game with Tyrone in 2014, McCarron made a remarkable recovery in 2015, ending the season with an All-Star nomination. His story is a remarkable tale of the hidden demons that often visit and terrorise inter-county players. It also underlines the pressures and expectations so often taken for granted with amateur players. McCarron recalls his journey with searing honesty, from the depths of depression and to the edge of suicide to path taken back to recovery and rehabilitation. He is now studying to be a counsellor, aiming to help people rid themselves of the demons that once almost destroyed his life. The edge to the book is added with McCarron still an active inter-county player. His journey will also take you inside the dressing room of a team with serious ambitions of winning another All-Ireland title. McCarron’s story is unlike any other written by a GAA player before.


The GAA

The GAA

Author: John Scally

Publisher: Random House

Published: 2011-04-01

Total Pages: 244

ISBN-13: 1845969472

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For 125 years, the GAA has been a fixed point in a fast-changing age, and this oral history marks the125th anniversary of the Association. It is the story of the GAA as seen through the eyes of those key personalities who shaped it. Author Jon Scally has carried out over a hundred revealing interviews with players and managers who are synonymous with the Games, including Babs Keating, Jimmy Barry-Murphy, Ger Loughnane, D.J. Carey, Liam Griffin, Mick O'Dwyer, Colm O'Rourke, John O'Mahony, Joe Brolly and Matt Connor, and these contributions offer a unique eyewitness testimony to the dramas that captivated, enthralled and occasionally infuriated the nation both on and off the pitch. The book sheds new light on high-profile controversies, offers new insights into the players and personalities that linger long in the memory and presents a fresh look at the epic contests that turned Ireland's Games into a national soap opera. The GAA: An Oral History is a celebration of the good, the bad and the beautiful of Gaelic Games, and is a must for all sports fans.