Irish Sports Book of the Year - GAA books

Sunset V

Lads,

The annual list for the Irish Sports Book of the Year is out with nearly half being GAA books. Anyone reckon there is an outstanding winner this year?

Full list -

2009 WilliamHill.com Irish Sports Book of the Year

• Never Die Wondering – Eddie O’Sullivan with Vincent Hogan (Random House Press)
• Bernard Dunne: A Legend in the Making – Barry Flynn (Liberties Press)
• Rebel Rebel: The Billy Morgan Story – Billy Morgan with Billy Keane (Ballpoint Press)
• Harte: Presence is the Only Thing – Mickey Harte with Michael Foley (Poolbeg)
• The GAA: A People’s History – Mike Cronin, Mark Duncan and Paul Rouse (Collins Press)
• Rags to Riches: The Story of Munster – Barry Coughlan (Collins Press)
• The GAA: An Oral History – John Scally (Mainstream Publishing)
• Micheál’s GAA Odyssey – Micheál Ó’Muircheartaigh with Conor McKeon and Sean Potts (Mainstream Publishing)
• Around the World in GAA Days – Aaron Dunne (Mainstream Publishing)
• Voices from the Back of the Bus – Stewart McKinney (Mainstream Publishing)
• Tunnel Vision: Behind the Scenes at Great Irish Sports Events – Tadgh de Brún (Mentor Books)
• Working on a Dream – Damian Lawlor (Mentor Books)
• Free Money – Declan Lynch (Transworld Publishers)
• Come What May: The Autobiography – Dónal Óg Cusack with Tom Humphries (Penguin Ireland)
• Vintage Crop: Against All Odds – Dermot Weld (Gill and MacMillan)
• Dream On: One Hackers Challenge – John Richardson (Blackstaff Press)
• Tales of the Dogs – John Martin (Blackstaff Press)
• Unlimited Heartbreak – Henry Martin (Collins Press)
• Cody: The Autobiography – Brian Cody with Martin Breheny (Irish Sports Publishing)
• In the Blood – Anne Holland (O’Brien Press)
• Unfinished Business – Tadgh Kennelly with Scott Gullan (Mercier Press)
• Hanging from the Rafters – Kieran Shannon (Evening Echo Publications)
• Grand Slam: How Ireland Achieved Rugby Greatness – Alan English (Penguin Ireland)

Gingy

I haven't read most of them, and with most of the key points in each of the GAA books being serialised in the national papers, I don't think that I'll be rushing out to get them.

Some of the best books I've ever read have been GAA books, 'The Road to Croker', Eamon Sweney, 'Last Man Standing', Christy O'Connor, 'Hurling:The Revolutionary Years, Denis Walsh, and 'Kings of September', Michael Foley. I don't think that any of the above books could stand up to those ones. Walsh and Foley won Sports book of the year before.

Qwerty27

Be quicker to list the GAA books that didnt make the list!!

CAn recommend the GAA history book, excellent read and very interesting

SomeFool

I'd say Billy Morgans or Micheál Ó’Muircheartaighs would be good reads, two fellas who've seen and done an awful lot over the years. Fellas still involved in playing and management who release books are only after a fast buck imo, the revised edition with an added chapter on the '10 championship will hit the slelves this time next year. :rolleyes:

Royal Seahawk

Working On A Dream sounds class. Damian Lawlor charts a year in the life of the Waterford footballers. Far better than any of the autobiographys i'd say.

Green Giant

I must say I was very impressed with Unlimited Heartbreak - a truly honest and hard-hitting account of Limerick hurling from an author who's not afraid to hide from the truth

aaronmcfc

I hadn't actually come across that book about the guy who broke par in golf in under a year before this week, but it sounds cracking. I've been at it for over a decade and still haven't even come remotely close to breaking 80! That Waterford football book looks like it would be a fun read, and the Limerick hurling book has got great reviews everywhere I've seen it. But when do you find the time to read all of these?! Just finished that Around The World in GAA Days book, read it in a day! Was absolutely brilliant!! Wonder does Donal Óg tells us anything we didn't already know in his one though, are there any other revelations/good stories in the book does anyone know? Haven't heard anyone say anything about it other than the obvious...

badaction

Unlimited Heartbreak by Henry Martin is a great read. Goes along at at a great pace. Tom Ryan must be the the crankiest man in Ireland he hasn,t a good word to say about anybody. One All-Ireland in 68 years says it all. Highly recommend it to any hurling fan.

shockframe

i havent read any of the gaa books yet but the ones that stand out are billy morgans book and unlimited heartbreak.i heard codys book isnt great.

tadhgs buck (sorry) book wouldnt be great id imagine.donal ogs book - "that" story aside is the only thing of note in his.the writer doesnt do much to inspire confidence either.jack o connors book aside - humphries "jumped the shark" when he slated waterford for getting rid of justin but backed cork to the hilt during their last strike.

b12mearse

Royal Seahawk wrote: »

Working On A Dream sounds class. Damian Lawlor charts a year in the life of the Waterford footballers. Far better than any of the autobiographys i'd say.

We must of been in the same college

Sunset V

I just saw there that you can now vote for the books on www.irishsportsbookoftheyear.com, think I will go with Unlimited Heartbreak, it probably wont win but it is an excellent read!

Sunset V

And the shortlist is -

Donal Og
Mickey Harte
Working on a Dream - Waterford Footballers
Eddie O'Sullivan
Grand Slam Book
Hanging from the Rafters - Basketball book

Deise Tom

Royal Seahawk wrote: »

Working On A Dream sounds class. Damian Lawlor charts a year in the life of the Waterford footballers. Far better than any of the autobiographys i'd say.

Its a very good read. There may be one or two small mistakes here and there, but you have them everyplace, and unless you know, where they are, then you will know know better.