Irish Sport Encyclopaedia

As New Condition First Edition Hardback. 368 unmarked pages. Best Offer secures. Please look at all my items.
With a population of only 5.5 million, Ireland is nonetheless respected for its sports achievements in soccer, rugby, and cricket, the Gaelic sports hurling and football contribute to a full agenda for participants and spectators alike. Throughout Ireland, sport is played with enthusiasm and, win or lose, the craic of the game is paramount.
This book is a collection of essays written by the editor with contributions from eight authorities in their chosen field. It examines 12 different sports over the 50 years and provides a colourful insight into Irish sporting achievement and success. It presages many of the remarkable changes which have taken place in the recent past in Irish sport the primary one being a steady growth in professionalisation.

Ian Foster read history at Trinity College. Beside his enthusiasm for his subject, as an accomplished sportsman he was well-placed to make the most of undergraduate years in Dublin. Many of his colleagues were also excellent sportsmen: Andy Mulligan, Paddy Hopkirk, Donald Pratt, Willie Robinson and himself played games to international standard.

At 368 pages, supported by 140 photographs, many of which have been taken for private collections not normally available to the public, it provides a fascinating account of Irish sport. Combining historical fact with the accounts of the individuals involved, it is at once both informative and highly entertaining and will be an important addition to the collections of sports enthusiasts as well as those who sit on the sidelines and cheer on their favourites.