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Post by kerrybhoy06 on Oct 20, 2021 21:04:41 GMT
Does Davy have a lot to offer? Is effin & blinding while jumping around like an idiot on the sideline still a route to success? I don’t think so myself
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Post by Mickmack on Oct 20, 2021 21:20:37 GMT
Does Davy have a lot to offer? Is effin & blinding while jumping around like an idiot on the sideline still a route to success? I don’t think so myself Taking Wexford from such a low position to the heights of that epic semi final v Tipp 3 years ago was a massive achievement. Tipp had a bigger and better panel and won the game and destroyed KK in the final. Taking an unfancied Clare all the way in 2013 was brilliant. He didnt tell Shane ODonnell he was starting the replay till shortly before the throw in which took all the pressure of the younster who ended up scoring 3.03 before being substituted. There is a lot of Davy that the play acting on the sideline.
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Post by kerrybhoy06 on Oct 20, 2021 21:51:30 GMT
I can’t see him winning an all Ireland ever again. The game has passed his style by, his behaviour and tactics will take a team so far but he won’t win you anything.
He’s the GAA Mourinho
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Post by Mickmack on Oct 20, 2021 21:55:47 GMT
Shock as Henry Shefflin gets nod ahead of Davy Fitzgerald for ‘unique opportunity’ with Galway hurlers
Michael Verney October 20 2021 05:47 PM
HENRY SHEFFLIN is braced for the "unique opportunity" ahead after his shock appointment as Galway senior hurling manager, having pipped red-hot favourite Davy Fitzgerald to the post in sensational fashion.
Rumours were widespread on Tuesday that Clare native Fitzgerald was set to take the Tribe reins with a Banner-heavy backroom team, but Shefflin is believed to have entered the equation at the 11th hour before being chosen to lead Galway forward.
Kilkenny legend Shefflin, the most decorated player in the game with 10 All-Ireland SHC titles and 11 All-Stars, was interviewed for the position earlier this week with his appointment formally announced tonight alongside high-regarded coach, and fellow Cat, Richie O'Neill, with the remainder of his backroom team to follow in the coming weeks.
"Managing the Galway senior hurlers presents a unique opportunity and we relish the exciting challenge ahead as we begin this journey. We look forward to working with the players, the county board, and the wider Galway GAA community over the coming years," Shefflin said in a Galway GAA statement.
The three-time Hurler of the Year led his native Ballyhale Shamrocks to successive All-Ireland club hurling titles in 2019-2020 during his first foray into management and the 42-year-old now takes the giant step into the inter-county game.
Shefflin is seen by many as the natural successor to Brian Cody whenever the Kilkenny boss calls time on his record-breaking reign, but his new appointment sees him collide with his former boss in next year's Leinster SHC.
Shefflin had said earlier this year“ that inter-county management was not something that appealed to him – "At this moment in time, no" – but that has clearly changed as he attempts to bring the west awake once again.
ADVERTISEMENT It will be intriguing to see whether Shefflin tries to coax former Hurler of the Year Joe Canning out of retirement, having hung up his boots in July, as all eyes turn to their 2022 campaign.
Shefflin's arrival puts an end to 35 successive years where Fitzgerald has been part of the inter-county game as either a player or a manager with the former Wexford boss now left out in the cold.
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Post by Mickmack on Oct 20, 2021 22:00:01 GMT
Galway v KK in next years Leinster championship can't come quick enough.
I wonder will Eddie Brennan be part of Henry's lineup.
Cody had a football ball from Laois called Michael Dempsey to bring the physical tackling to their game. I wonder will Shefflin do something similar. Donie Buckley anyone?
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Post by thehermit on Oct 20, 2021 22:27:23 GMT
I’m the first to admit, I’m not a hurling man, I’ve always been a huge Davy Fitz fan, would he ever consider the likes of a Kerry or is that level beneath him? He doesn’t come across as an egotistical character but would his capabilities be wasted not being utilized at Liam McCarthy level In fairness Horse, Keane isn't wrong 😂
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Post by Mickmack on Oct 20, 2021 22:31:28 GMT
Henry Shefflin to Galway: A fascinating hurling story embarks First off, the Galway County Board brought off a coup. The relevant people kept this possibility under wraps until the last moment. Tightness and discretion rewarded itself,
WED, 20 OCT, 2021 - 21:58 PM O'Sullivan PM O’Sullivan
Typical October tangles, hurling wise? Club torment, club joy.
Think again. Not this week and not now, via a certain development, for quite a while. The inter-county stuff billowed following Galway’s announcement of Henry Shefflin as their new senior manager.
Marty Morrissey, relaying the story on RTÉ’s teatime news, stood between bemused and stunned. No river was available, as backdrop, at such short notice. Matters were moving at the speed of hard weather, surprise swaying to country awe. Who hid the forecast?
Davy Fitzgerald had been the man, according to yesterday. Now he was yesterday’s man.
There is much to unpack about this appointment. First off, the Galway County Board brought off a coup. The relevant people kept this possibility under wraps until the last moment. Tightness and discretion rewarded itself, same as a submarine rewards itself with oxygen.
Bottom line, no pun intended? A structure got tested for leaks.
That pun? Every bit intended.
I imagine this factor proved crucial. Henry Shefflin, a highly intelligent individual, runs slow about trusting people. He would see the manner in which his engagement in this process was curated as indicative of whether he could establish a healthy relationship with a potentially explosive arena.
Weak pun? Not at all.
Pun full on, pun spot on. And just one indicating a strong job done. This Kilkenny man is all about trusting a possibility through the possibility of trust.
Shefflin already knows, therefore, quite a bit. If nothing else, he can covet the advantage of surprise, under the Galway periscope. Blather has been ruled out.
And so a fascinating hurling story embarks. The game’s next few years might well pivot around this decision. The unexpected is what we all love. And what could be more unexpected than Kilkenny’s greatest hurler managing against them?
Easy talk wafts towards whether Joe Canning will invent a new verb and unretire. There fall any amount of Western angles, a plethora of assumptions. But I doubt the Canning stuff will grow legs, because Joe Canning’s legs are shot. Sheflfin has been that soldier, roundabout 2014.
I know the man, a small bit. We are from the same small slice of the world in South Kilkenny, Ballyhale Shamrocks, and I had the privilege of working with our club’s senior panel for several seasons. What you see with Henry, in my experience, is largely what you get.
We are on warm terms, having always got on well. But you do not intrude, do not ask eejity questions. He is always judging (which is why he always had the making of a serious manager). We are used to dealing with brilliant people in the parish of Ballyhale, much as the lakes of Westmeath are used to holding large trout. Hard or soft weather is only a detail. Conditions endure.
Like the rest of us, I greatly admire him and his family, which is por nada. This sentiment is the parish’s default feeling, onfield career and sideline career. Rather unexpectedly, a former star became the club’s manager for the 2018 season. Aided by Tommy Shefflin, his older brother, as trainer, this star oversaw a 17 game unbeaten championship sequence, a feat that snagged two Club Irelands in a row.
Mettle had been tempered. On he went.
Henry Shefflin will travel to Galway with eyes open and homework done. End of day, he is not a pirate, unlike other names that could be mentioned. He is a sailor and, like all sailors, a pragmatist. He will focus on the sky rather than on the horizon, because sky dictates weather. And he never whistles, never relaxes.
Shanties are often sad songs and sad songs, even in severely inland places, forever say so much. Call the county’s present lament ‘The Leaving of Kilkenny’. Ask a question: why is Henry Shefflin leaving his native place when widely believed to be the county’s preferred successor to Brian Cody?
Therein lies a serious tale. The Kilkenny County Board, however inland, must take this sea as a mirror.
This piece of hurling news will end up, ultimately, a tale of two counties.
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Post by Mickmack on Oct 20, 2021 22:35:04 GMT
I am struggling to think of a sunday game hurling panelist who hasnt given inter county management a shot.
The likes of Spillane, Brolly and ORourke might be better panelists had they done so.
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Post by hurlingman on Oct 21, 2021 7:37:01 GMT
I’m the first to admit, I’m not a hurling man, I’ve always been a huge Davy Fitz fan, would he ever consider the likes of a Kerry or is that level beneath him? He doesn’t come across as an egotistical character but would his capabilities be wasted not being utilized at Liam McCarthy level I'm pretty such before he became Waterford manager he was linked to the Kerry job on the back of managing LIT. Depending on how they go in the next season or so i could see him managing Offaly especially with Shane Lowry providing funding to them.
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Post by hurlingman on Oct 21, 2021 7:40:46 GMT
I am struggling to think of a sunday game hurling panelist who hasnt given inter county management a shot. The likes of Spillane, Brolly and ORourke might be better panelists had they done so. O'Rourke managed Meath at underage at one point i think. The fact he was still playing with Meath for so long would have meant he would have been late getting into management. He was the International Rules manager as well. Afaik Pat Spillane managed at school level and with Kenmare. The only time i never head of him having any interest in intercounty management was when he offered to manage London one time. I don't think Brolly have ever managed anyone team.
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Post by hurlingman on Oct 21, 2021 7:51:41 GMT
Does Davy have a lot to offer? Is effin & blinding while jumping around like an idiot on the sideline still a route to success? I don’t think so myself Taking Wexford from such a low position to the heights of that epic semi final v Tipp 3 years ago was a massive achievement. Tipp had a bigger and better panel and won the game and destroyed KK in the final. Taking an unfancied Clare all the way in 2013 was brilliant. He didnt tell Shane ODonnell he was starting the replay till shortly before the throw in which took all the pressure of the younster who ended up scoring 3.03 before being substituted. There is a lot of Davy that the play acting on the sideline. Wexford wouldn't have been at that low an ed to be fair. They'd won three Leinster U21 titles in a row and had beat Cork the year before in the championship so they were on the way up when he took over. In 2013 once Tipp and Kilkenny went out it was wide open for anyone to win it so imo i wouldn't say C;are were unfancied. He did also win a league title but his record in Munster was very poor, They didn't make a Munster final until he left. Considering the players he had he shoould have done much much better with them. With Davy a team is pretty much guaranteed success in the short team before it falls apart.
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Post by glengael on Oct 21, 2021 9:41:29 GMT
I am struggling to think of a sunday game hurling panelist who hasnt given inter county management a shot. The likes of Spillane, Brolly and ORourke might be better panelists had they done so. O'Rourke managed Meath at underage at one point i think. The fact he was still playing with Meath for so long would have meant he would have been late getting into management. He was the International Rules manager as well. Afaik Pat Spillane managed at school level and with Kenmare. The only time i never head of him having any interest in intercounty management was when he offered to manage London one time. I don't think Brolly have ever managed anyone team. I think Pat saw the hassle associated with county management very early on and decided to stick to the media career. He has been writing for the Sunday World since 1991, just after he retired from Kerry set up. Some PR operation by Galway, led all the pundits up one particular garden path only to reappear on the lawn with the new man. Davy will take charge of some College or under 20/21 team I'm sure and possibly be back at senior inter-county level before too long.
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Post by Mickmack on Oct 21, 2021 10:14:45 GMT
Tralee CBS score final nine points to take first O’Sullivan Cup since 2010
WED, 20 OCT, 2021 - 20:56 MURT MURPHY Kerry Colleges O’Sullivan Cup final
Tralee CBS 1-16 Coláiste na Sceilge 2-8
Tralee CBS had to call on all their reserves to see off the dogged challenge of Coláiste Na Sceilge to reclaim the O’Sullivan Cup for the first time since 2010 at Fitzgerald Stadium.
Coláiste na Sceilge made the better start and dominated the opening quarter despite Tralee CBS opening their account with a Maurice O’Connell free before Thomas O’Donnell saw his goal-bound shot tipped against the crossbar by Sceilge keeper Aaron Galvin.
The rest of the quarter belonged to the South Kerry school as they dominated proceedings through Jack Clifford and kicked a succession of scores including a well-worked Emmet Daly goal in the seventh minute. They threatened a major upset as they led at the water break, 1-5 to 0-3.
Points from Conor Horan (2), Emmet Daly, and O’Donnell saw the Green back in the game by half-time, trailing 1-6 to 0-6, but Coláiste na Sceilge suffered a huge blow before the break when corner-back Sam O’Driscoll received a straight red card.
Tralee CBS's strength and class came to the surface in the third quarter. Jordan Kissane was the game-changer with an early goal and he also kicked two points as Na Sceilge stayed in the contest thanks to a wonder goal from Ian O’Sullivan to lead 2-8 to 1-7 at the second water break.
But Tralee CBS assumed complete control and kicked nine unanswered points for a deserved win which marks them as one of the favourites for the Corn Uí Mhuirí.
Scorers for Tralee CBS: J Kissane (1-4), T O’Donnell and M O’Connell (0-3 each), C Horan and D Daly (0-2 each), R O’Connell and A Heinrich (0-1 each).
Scorers for Coláiste na Sceilge: I O’Sullivan (1-3, 2 frees), E Daly (1-0), D O’Sullivan (0-2), Oisin O’Sullivan, C O’Shea, and B O’Sullivan (0-1 each).
TRALEE CBS: B Quilter; R O’Connell, D Sweeney, L Óg Kingston; C Browne, S McGrath, C White; A Heinrich, C Horan; J Kissane, T O’Donnell, B Hanafin; J Brosnan, M O’Connell, D Daly.
Subs: D Moriarty for L Óg Kingston (h-t), A Sheehy for B Hanafin (49), T Reen for D Moriarty (58), J Foley for C Browne (60).
COLÁISTE NA SCEILGE: A Galvin; J O’ Sullivan, S Kennedy, S O’Driscoll; O O’Sullivan, C O’Donoghue, K O’Donnell; J Clifford, A Coffey; B O’Sullivan, K O’Shea, W Galvin; I O’Sullivan, D O’Sullivan, E Daly.
Subs: B O’Donoghue for E Daly (h-t), C Murphy for B O’Sullivan (40), Z Fayen for K O’Donnell (47), K Corcoran for C O’Shea (60), T Kelly for C O’Donoghue (60+1).
Referee: J Griffin (Glenbeigh/Glencar).
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Post by thehermit on Oct 21, 2021 11:19:44 GMT
Hon the Green!
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Post by sullyschoice on Oct 21, 2021 21:37:54 GMT
Has anyone read Aidan O Mahonys book? Any good? It is hard to imagine it could be given the number of books in recent years. I am nearly finished it. I am enjoying it. One thing I have taken from it is that players read this forum and some of the stuff written about them can have an effect.
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Post by john4 on Oct 21, 2021 22:03:18 GMT
Has anyone read Aidan O Mahonys book? Any good? It is hard to imagine it could be given the number of books in recent years. I am nearly finished it. I am enjoying it. One thing I have taken from it is that players read this forum and some of the stuff written about them can have an effect. I worked with a guy once during a time when he played county hurling, glued to hoganstand forum he was. Don't really know what he was hoping to get from it, He wasn't a great hurler and could never figure out why he'd go looking for commentary on his ability. Stay away would be my advice to any young fella coming up in the game.
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Post by hurlingman on Oct 22, 2021 8:10:51 GMT
Has anyone read Aidan O Mahonys book? Any good? It is hard to imagine it could be given the number of books in recent years. How many of the 2000s team have books now? Darragh and Tomas, Star, Gooch, Galvin. That's always a let down with many GAA players books it's just the same stories over and over again. Although Aidan O Mahony would have come a different route to many other Kerry players so that side of it may be interesting.
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Post by thehermit on Oct 22, 2021 9:32:52 GMT
I am nearly finished it. I am enjoying it. One thing I have taken from it is that players read this forum and some of the stuff written about them can have an effect. I worked with a guy once during a time when he played county hurling, glued to hoganstand forum he was. Don't really know what he was hoping to get from it, He wasn't a great hurler and could never figure out why he'd go looking for commentary on his ability. Stay away would be my advice to any young fella coming up in the game. Yes could never understand that either. A lad I knew in college had started played hurling for Carlow and only lasted one league campaign before he packed it in. He told me he just couldn't deal with the personal criticism directed at him on the Carlow forum. Now obviously that's a case of a forum not being properly moderated but regardless, I don't know why you would want to put yourself into a position of reading what every, bitter, frustrated, nasty oddball out there wants to anonymously post about you.
Its a bit like Twitter, if you judged the human race by what's on there you'd be welcoming our impending ecological doom
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Post by thehermit on Oct 22, 2021 9:37:44 GMT
Has anyone read Aidan O Mahonys book? Any good? It is hard to imagine it could be given the number of books in recent years. How many of the 2000s team have books now? Darragh and Tomas, Star, Gooch, Galvin. That's always a let down with many GAA players books it's just the same stories over and over again. Although Aidan O Mahony would have come a different route to many other Kerry players so that side of it may be interesting. A bit similar to the Munster team of the 2000's - Axel, Quinlan, Paulie, Stringer, Rog x 2, Donnacha, the Bull - there was probably one or two more.
Not sure I'll bother picking up Aidan's book, its probably all been said before by the others. I really thought Star's book was excellent. Gooch's was ok, I admire Galvin for trying to write it himself but it wasn't the best. The two O'Se books were bad though.
I forget who ghost wrote Daragh's but it is up there with Martin Breheny's 'autobiographies' of Cody and Micko as a strong contender for worst GAA book of all time.
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Post by Ballyfireside on Oct 22, 2021 9:45:47 GMT
Anyone care to remind me how to insert an image on here?
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Jo90
Fanatical Member
Posts: 2,687
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Post by Jo90 on Oct 22, 2021 10:02:17 GMT
Anyone care to remind me how to insert an image on here? Upload it to an image hosting site, then get the URL and click the 'Insert Image' icon in this forum i.e. and copy in the URL.
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Post by Ballyfireside on Oct 22, 2021 10:27:51 GMT
As regards books, the arts sector is a shambles and that is before you consider what was in the papers the past few days re the bullying, backstabbing, sexism, etc - you name it and even I have seen a bit so not surprised.
Anyway sticking to GAA Autobiogs here are a few points: 1. Book reading is generally down to chance, both on authors side and readers. Authors, even ghost writers, seldom know the ropes and/or mindful of the basics, so readers are consequently confused as they browse, hence 90% of book reading experiences are, well dull! GAA Biogs ain't so bad really in that at least Author and Reader know what the subject is, be it football or hurling so at least it won't be a v bad experience, well unless the notion is ego vs inform. 2. For a good experience, the author needs help with guidelines, E.g. Where to start and end the story - sound crazy but so so true, Focus on a specific target audience and comply with appropriate diction, i.e. err on the side of crafting common words well as opposed to using big words that only interrupt the flow.
I could go on but from a readers perspective, one needs to know what they want - I made the decision a while back to dwell on figuring out this, I'd spend hours in a book shop, I mean why spend 10 mins deciding what you will end up reading for hours, hopefully rereading - I'm having my 2nd go at MOMs Dun Suin to Croker. BTW Paddy Mo's Biog is a pure disaster - IMO everyone who would buy it already knew what Mo was about, so it needed to start from there and move on, instead it started there but went back - mundane detail of so and so went here and met so and so and then went to bed that night.
As regards GAA Bigs I often buy them anyway, an just to give an amateur laddo lift up and they are always worth it in some respect, PatS pillanes 'Shooting from the hip' is a classic, Dwyers wan was historically detailed, Tadhgeens was local to me - he missed the opportunity to tell us about the nuts and bolts of the Oz game, Galvins was a good read - honest and he put himself out there, warts and all, even the smigen of ego and which authenticated the entire.
The problem these days is all these awards, etc is all a con, same as 'recommenders'on the web. E.g. Bernard Brogan pushing 'Bounce' - there are two paragraphs in that book from a GAA perspective, the rest we knew the day we went into the long panse.
If I wasn't sure re AO'M's, or say I was thinking of a present for someone, first he was a serious and genuine player, well apart from the day he fainted - ah jazus a coloured man had a go at me about it in a far away place once! That Aidan did well in Dancing is a plus, though I think that crack is pure *e he won it so he is no one trick pony. I saw an only okish interview which to me suggests he only talks when he has something to say and which is a big +, or he is a poor communicator and which a quick random browse in a bookshop will reveal, as opposed to promotional extracts. What fool expects us to believe AO'M was at his peak when he retired and as I just read - that's experts BS for you, Aidan had come back, lost a pile of weight and put in a hoor of a shift vs Murphy in '14 final, so don't let that fib put you off.
As for me, Aidan took his shoes off just after that game and gave them to a special wee lad on the sideline, so that's my moneys worth!
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Post by hurlingman on Oct 22, 2021 10:42:45 GMT
How many of the 2000s team have books now? Darragh and Tomas, Star, Gooch, Galvin. That's always a let down with many GAA players books it's just the same stories over and over again. Although Aidan O Mahony would have come a different route to many other Kerry players so that side of it may be interesting. A bit similar to the Munster team of the 2000's - Axel, Quinlan, Paulie, Stringer, Rog x 2, Donnacha, the Bull - there was probably one or two more.
Not sure I'll bother picking up Aidan's book, its probably all been said before by the others. I really thought Star's book was excellent. Gooch's was ok, I admire Galvin for trying to write it himself but it wasn't the best. The two O'Se books were bad though. I forget who ghost wrote Daragh's but it is up there with Martin Breheny's 'autobiographies' of Cody and Micko as a strong contender for worst GAA book of all time. imo Galvin's was one of the better ones I've read. Darragh's was one of the worst and didn;t read Tomas's as i felt it would be much the same. Tadhg Kennelly's was very poor also but that was written for Australians imo. The Cody one is probably the worst of them all. The problem with most GAA autobiographies is you never really find out anything new or interesting. Brendan Cummins's could have been an interesting one imo had be had more about his time playing football etc yet the big revile of it is when he was dropped by Babs Keating. Something that's been done to death by Cummins himself for years.
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Post by Ballyfireside on Oct 22, 2021 11:41:02 GMT
Anyone care to remind me how to insert an image on here? Upload it to an image hosting site, then get the URL and click the 'Insert Image' icon in this forum i.e. and copy in the URL. Saw that jo but the pic isn't on the web and I got lost posting to a site - I did this previously, from a jpeg - I have a nice Brendan Kennelly one to share!
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Post by glengael on Oct 22, 2021 12:56:15 GMT
Kieran Donaghy's book is streets ahead of any other one from the 2000's team. He was passionate about more than one sport and I think that helped enormously. Too many GAA books give the impression of tunnel vision and there's only so many times you can read that.
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Post by Attacking Wing Back on Oct 22, 2021 14:57:41 GMT
I think it's par for the course with all sports personalities books really with the odd exception. Most follow a similar formula, did x when I was young. A bit about the early seasons, a bit in details about if they won something. And then retirement.
The best sports books are those that have had some sort or adversity in life. Donaghy's was very good. McConville's the same.
Other sports books autobiographies I have found interesting were Paul McGrath and Tony Adams.
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horsebox77
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Our trees & mountains are silent ghosts, they hold wisdom and knowledge mankind has long forgotten.
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Post by horsebox77 on Oct 22, 2021 15:59:06 GMT
Darragh’s was pure tripe, Tomas’s was ok I though, as was Coopers, Donaghy’s and the keys to the kingdom by Jack were good enough reads as well.
Paul’s, I thought was deeper, but I suppose seeing as he himself wrote it as opposed to a ghost writer one could see why. Cody’s was a let-down. Mickey Harte’s was a great read, that was one autobiography, I couldn’t put down.
So, seven books from the 2000’s team, Paul, Darragh, Tomas, Donaghy, Cooper, Jack O’Connor and now Aidan O’Mahony.
Anyone else find it strange that from the Golden Years only Pat Spillane< Paidi and Deenihan put pen to paper, and I though Deenihan’s was a hard read. Considering the likes of Jacko, Bomber Mikey and Óige etc… I’m surprised the figures aren’t reversed, with seven for the Golden Years and three from the 2000’s.
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Post by Mickmack on Oct 22, 2021 19:09:54 GMT
Darragh’s was pure tripe, Tomas’s was ok I though, as was Coopers, Donaghy’s and the keys to the kingdom by Jack were good enough reads as well. Paul’s, I thought was deeper, but I suppose seeing as he himself wrote it as opposed to a ghost writer one could see why. Cody’s was a let-down. Mickey Harte’s was a great read, that was one autobiography, I couldn’t put down. So, seven books from the 2000’s team, Paul, Darragh, Tomas, Donaghy, Cooper, Jack O’Connor and now Aidan O’Mahony. Anyone else find it strange that from the Golden Years only Pat Spillane< Paidi and Deenihan put pen to paper, and I though Deenihan’s was a hard read. Considering the likes of Jacko, Bomber Mikey and Óige etc… I’m surprised the figures aren’t reversed, with seven for the Golden Years and three from the 2000’s. I agree on Galvin, Donaghy, colm Copper and Mickey Harte. Jacks book was compulsive too. Christy o Connor of Clare had a great book from the perspective of the club hurler. Some poor ones by Darragh, Brendan Cummins, Charlie Carter, Micheal oMurahurtaigh....
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Post by Mickmack on Oct 22, 2021 19:15:36 GMT
I think it's par for the course with all sports personalities books really with the odd exception. Most follow a similar formula, did x when I was young. A bit about the early seasons, a bit in details about if they won something. And then retirement. The best sports books are those that have had some sort or adversity in life. Donaghy's was very good. McConville's the same. Other sports books autobiographies I have found interesting were Paul McGrath and Tony Adams. I remember a great book called Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby about his obsession about Arsenal. More psychology than a sports book.
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Post by thehermit on Oct 22, 2021 19:30:41 GMT
Hurling the Revolution Years and Kerry V Dublin are two of the great GAA books over the past twenty years IMO. I really liked Loughane's Raising the Banner myself. Jack's was a great insight at the time too. Donal McAnnallen's book about his brother Cormac was very moving and poignant, he's a fine writer and an excellent historian.
If anyone is looking for sports books to read now the nights are drawing in, ones I've really enjoyed down the years would be Alan English's Stand Up and Fight; John Carlin's Playing the Enemy (forget the Eastwood/Matt Damon movie this is an excellent modern history of South Africa told through the 1995 WC); Paul McGrath's autobiography and David Remnick's King of the World: Muhammad Ali and the Rise of an American Hero
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