This is the Life
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This is the Life by Ciarán Murphy
The GAA is Ireland's largest civil society organisation, woven into the fabric of families and communities - and yet most books about Gaelic games focus on the greatest players and inter-county teams. This is the Life is a book about the 99 per cent: a witty and provocative look at grassroots GAA from the most intelligent and interesting Gaelic games pundit at work today. Ciarán Murphy - of Second Captains and the Irish Times - has an unmatched feel for the timeless elements of this world and a finger on the pulse of change. He looks at the plight of rural clubs that are losing their players to the cities - and he does so not only as a journalist but as a footballer who made the same move himself (and who once, flying home to play a club match, found himself alone on the plane with Jedward). He writes about working as an assistant in the clothing shop owned by the family of Jarlath Fallon - who was both Ciaran's all-time sporting hero and the local postman. And he looks at things we usually prefer not to talk about, like the role of social class in the GAA. This is the Life is a book about the places the GAA comes from, the places it can take a person, and the things that make a local club worth fighting for.
Terrific. . one of the most enjoyable sports books I've come across in a long time -- Matt Cooper * The Last Word With Matt Cooper, Today FM *
Brilliantly written . . . an absolute joy to read * The Irish Sun *
What makes this book so different to the plethora of GAA tomes is [how] this chronicles life for the rest of us . . . Murphy makes you realise that everyday GAA experiences are unique * Irish Independent *
A revelation . . . This is the Life indeed * Irish Examiner *
Captures the history of the GAA, the heights it can propel regular people to, and what makes a local club so important * Sunday World *
Brilliantly written . . . an absolute joy to read * The Irish Sun *
What makes this book so different to the plethora of GAA tomes is [how] this chronicles life for the rest of us . . . Murphy makes you realise that everyday GAA experiences are unique * Irish Independent *
A revelation . . . This is the Life indeed * Irish Examiner *
Captures the history of the GAA, the heights it can propel regular people to, and what makes a local club so important * Sunday World *
Ciarán Murphy is an acclaimed podcaster (with Second Captains), a trusted columnist (with the Irish Times), and an ageing Gaelic footballer (originally with Milltown in Co. Galway, latterly with Templeogue Synge Street in Dublin). This is the Life is his first book.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781844886326 |
| ISBN 10 | 1844886328 |
| Title | This is the Life |
| Author | Ciarán Murphy |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Penguin Books Ltd |
| Year published | 2023-09-21 |
| Number of pages | 256 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |