Stocking fillers this Christmas time

By Shaun Casey

Derry: Game of my Life

THIS is a unique publication which fuses history with memories, a snapshot into 25 of the Oakleaf County’s greatest players and a day they will never forget.

There is a flavour of Derry 1993 All-Ireland success and a walk further down memory lane to the back-to-back winning teams of the ’70s. There is also a flavour of success at club, school and International Rules level.

This book is a must for every Derry fan. There is also a Donegal and Down angle as two of Derry’s biggest rivals as they marched towards Sam in 1993.

The players featured are: Gerry O’Loughlin, Mickey Niblock, Laurence Diamond, Mickey Lynch, Gerry McElhinney, Brendan Kelly, Anthony McGurk, Dermot McNicholl, Brian McGilligan, Tony Scullion, Plunkett Murphy, Gary Coleman, Damian Cassidy, Anthony Tohill, Damian Barton, Henry Downey, Enda Gormley, Enda Muldoon, Kieran McKeever, Sean Marty Lockhart, Paul McFlynn, Paddy Bradley, Kevin McCloy, Kevin McGuckin and Chrissy McKaigue.

The 50 Toughest Meanest Scariest Hard-Men in Football History

This unique book examines the 50 toughest men who ever played Gaelic Football. Men who laid down the law, men who knew no fear, but who was the Toughest, Meanest, Scariest of them all? The players acknowledged are: Meath’s Mick Lyons, Dublin’s Gay O’Driscoll and Keith Barr, Kerry’s Tim Kennelly and Bomber Liston, Cork’s Niall Cahalane, Derry’s Brian McGilligan, Tyrone’s Ryan McMenamin, Armagh’s Francie Bellew and Kieran McGeeney, Down’s DJ Kane, Mayo’s Colm Boyle, Donegal’s Michael Murphy and Neil McGee, Offaly’s Martin Furlong and Paddy McCormack, Monaghan’s Gerry McCarville and Sligo’s Barnes Murphy.

Crossing the divide

This book is a 29-chapter memoir of GAA, musical, historical and political stories. The outstanding accomplishments of three Derry GAA clubs in winning All-Ireland Senior Club championships, along with the exciting exploits of Senior All-Ireland medallists Colm McAlarney, Tony Scullion, Ronan Clarke and Philip Jordan are amongst a plethora of talented personalities. Author Seamus McRory gives a marvellous insight into the skillsets of talented RTÉ broadcaster Tommie Gorman, the Queen of Country Music, Philomena Begley, and Pioneer priest Fr Bernard McGuckian. The positive attributes of12 fellow alumni from St Patrick’s College, Armagh are narrated too. Comprehensive profile also of world-class boxing journalist Harry Mullan, legendary showbusiness impresario.

Pulse: A memoir on life, near death and a new life

Tyrone All-Ireland winner Mickey Coleman had his life in New York in order. A beautiful wife, two great kids and a building firm which was thriving.

His daily routine was straightforward but on Monday, 21st March 2021, shortly after returning home, Mickey set off for a run. A matter of seconds after recording his personal best time for that run, he suffered a heart attack. The ‘widow-maker’ heart attack affords only a 6 per cent survival rate. Orangetown paramedics worked frantically on him. On three occasions he flatlined. He survived.

Pat Spillane: In the blood

Pat Spillane was selected for the GAA’s Team of the Millennium, won eight All-Ireland senior football medals with Kerry and is one of the greatest Gaelic footballers ever.

He has also been one of the most controversial GAA pundits of all time, noted for his appearance on The Sunday Game and his column in The Sunday World.

In this honest and revealing book, Spillane reveals the sadness of his childhood when his father died young; his dazzling football career and encounters with other immortals, from Mick O’Dwyer onwards; the reality of life as pundit; his years as a post primary school teacher; and the stress of dealing with the government after his spell with the state advisory group on rural affairs.

Dromore St. Dympna’s Club & Parish History

Dromore St Dympna’s are launched their club history on Saturday, December 2 in St Patrick’s Hall.

The book entitled ‘Dromore St Dympna’s Club and Parish’ is a result of many years work and traces the ninety years of GAA activities in the parish of Dromore, which include football from the 1930’s, hurling in the 1940s, camogie in the 1980s and ladies football from the 1990s.

Each chapter concludes with a description of various parish events in each era.

The book will be of interest to Gaels of Dromore and beyond and is beautifully illustrated throughout, copies can be ordered through the club website.

Chasing Sam Maguire: The All-Ireland Football Championship 1928-1977

It is almost one hundred years since the Sam Maguire Cup was first awarded to the winner of the All-Ireland Football Championship.

Since it was first presented in 1928, to Kildare the Sam Maguire has become one of the most treasured pieces of silverware in Irish sport.

Dermot Reilly and Colm Keys have created an absorbing record of the first 50 years of Sam.

Thrilling accounts of the run-up to each final and the finals themselves are included, along with the names and home clubs for every player to have graced the field in those All-Ireland finals.