Merrion Pr | Atletické sporty

The Brexit referendum of 2016 triggered one of the most profound constitutional crises in modern British history. A wave of populist nationalism gave way to political and economic instability, throwing the future of the United Kingdom into sharp relief. The Scottish National Party saw an opportunity to press for a second referendum on Scottish independence with Irish republicans lobbying the British Government for a border poll in a move to help secure their goal of a United Ireland. For Unionists in Northern Ireland, a referendum that began on the question of sovereignty quickly degenerated into cries of betrayal and a redrawn border in the Irish Sea. Extraordinary uncertainty now hangs over the future of the Union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland's centenary year, military and political historian Aaron Edwards, a native of Belfast, explores the profound

The GAA is a part of the Irish consciousness and plays an influential role in Irish society that extends far beyond the sport itself. In popular imagination and experience, the GAA is often evoked in terms of its objects: medals passed down from generation to generation, jerseys worn in All-Ireland finals, Michael Cusack's blackthorn stick, a pair of glasses damaged during the events of Bloody Sunday. The objects of the GAA range from the informal to the formal and are key to the construction of both personal and official histories. This book repositions a range of objects, originating from the GAA, into the expanded field of Irish history by placing them as central to our understanding of past ideas and experiences. A History of the GAA in 100 Objects acts as a signpost to significant moments in GAA history, offers fresh perspectives on a previously overlooked area of enquiry,

From its earliest days, Association Football was seen not just as a contest between individuals and teams, but also between nations and peoples. The Irish national team was among the first in the world to participate in international competition in the early 1880s, but not everyone accepted it as a truly national entity. Sport in Ireland was disputed ground in a manner that was not the case elsewhere - even the term ' football' itself was a contested one. But soccer followers generally found no contradiction between their sporting and national loyalties, and the game found an important niche in Irish life, supported by many leading nationalists, from James Connolly to John Hume. This book provides a unique window into the history of Ireland and Britain, with keen insights into the making of national, regional, sectarian, class and gender identities that crystallised around Irish soccer.

Leinster - one of the most successful and influential Irish sporting teams of all time. Established in 1879, they boast a dazzling roster of players, past and present, including Brian O' Driscoll, Johnny Sexton, Jamie Heaslip, and current captain James Ryan. But there is so much more to rugby in Leinster, and, for the first time, this book compiles its rich history, from its foundation, through the amateur years, to the club's many spectacular championships in the twenty-first century, when the national love for rugby kicked up a gear. Doolin ruminates on the sport's relationships with politics and class, and of course celebrates all the breathless victories enjoyed by Leinster teams at every level. And success doesn't stop with silverware; since the nineteenth century Leinster Rugby has been influencing the spheres of education, business and politics throughout the province and the

In every province and county in Ireland, GAA grounds are cornerstones of culture and community. They are imbued with history and their terraces echo with the sounds of decades, even centuries, of spirited sporting battles. In this book, the first of its kind, Humphrey Kelleher has created a vibrant record of 101 GAA county grounds in every corner of the country. Each GAA ground featured has served as a county ground at some stage in its lifetime. Named for saints, landowners, political figures and more, every one has a unique and absorbing history. Alongside this fascinating information, the author chronicles the development of the grounds over the years, and the often surprising ways that funds were raised to do so. All thirty-two counties feature, and it doesn't stop there; the book also takes us to London and to New York, where the grounds reflect the lasting and far-reaching

This is the story of Northern Ireland's extraordinary Dunlop family - motor-racing titans - as told through the eyes of the world's leading road-racing photo-journalist, Stephen Davison. Davison has followed the careers of Joey Dunlop, his brothers Jim and Robert, and the entire family, since the 1970s. From the start, the passion the Dunlops had for their sport superseded the political and civil unrest by which they were surrounded in Northern Ireland. They were true self-made sporting giants, working-class heroes who gave everything to their exhilarating and adventurous, but often treacherous careers. From their earliest days on the circuit in the ' 70s, Davison cheered on his heroes from the hedgerows. He witnessed this formidable family dynasty at their highest and lowest moments, from their humble beginnings, to victories at the North-West 200 and the Isle of Man TT, to their