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This is the Life
- Author
- Ciarán Murphy
- Narrator
- Ciarán Murphy
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Publish Date
- 21 September 2023
- Run Time
- 6 hours 18 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
Brought to you by Penguin.
A provocative look at how grassroots GAA interacts with life in Ireland, from the wittiest Gaelic games pundit at work today
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%: 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. He writes about working as an assistant in the clothing shop owned by the family of Jarlath Fallon - both Ciarán's sporting hero and the local postman. And he looks a 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.
'There is a deep understanding of the way the GAA works at every level … a brilliant read from start to finish’ Paul Rouse, The Irish Examiner
©2023 Ciarán Murphy (P)2023 Penguin Audio
Critics Review
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Terrific . . . one of the most enjoyable sports books I've come across in a long time
The Last Word With Matt Cooper, Today FM
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Brilliantly written . . . an absolute joy to read
The Irish Sun
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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
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A revelation . . . This is the Life indeed
Irish Examiner
See more reviews See fewer reviews
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Captures the history of the GAA, the heights it can propel regular people to, and what makes a local club so important
Sunday World
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There is a deep understanding of the way the GAA works at every level … a brilliant read from start to finish
Irish Examiner
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Ciarán Murphy
- Narrator
- Ciarán Murphy
- Duration
- 6 hours 18 minutes
- Release Date
- 21 September 2023
- ISBN
- 9781844886777
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Genre
- Sociology: sport and leisure, History of sport, Sports management and facilities, Gaelic football, Hurling, Handball and its variants, Social classes, Autobiography: general
Synopsis
Brought to you by Penguin.A provocative look at how grassroots GAA interacts with life in Ireland, from the wittiest Gaelic games pundit at work todayThe 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%: 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. He writes about working as an assistant in the clothing shop owned by the family of Jarlath Fallon - both Ciarán's sporting hero and the local postman. And he looks a 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.'There is a deep understanding of the way the GAA works at every level … a brilliant read from start to finish’ Paul Rouse, The Irish Examiner©2023 Ciarán Murphy (P)2023 Penguin Audio
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