The perfect stocking fillers this Christmas

Kings for a Day – By Niall McCoy

ARMAGH won their first All-Ireland on a historic day against Kerry in 2002, but it was the culmination of years of blood, sweat and tears from a team that had endured their fair share of near-misses. They finally reached the promised land under Joe Kernan, and in this hugely informative yet entertaining book, Niall McCoy speaks to the main protagonists about their success including Oisin McConville, Joe Kernan, Jarlath Burns and the always amusing Benny Tierney. Yes, the games itself (including those blockbuster clashes against Tyrone and Kerry), are covered in great depth, but McCoy looks under the bonnet in what is the perfect stocking filler for anyone – not just the Armagh fan in your life – with an interest in Gaelic Football.

Limerick: A Biography in Nine Lives – By Arthur James O’Dea

THIS ‘Nine Lives’ tells the story of the Limerick hurling team down through the last century. It is a story rich in heartache, but it’s by no means all doom and gloom as the last few years have been a golden period for the county, with three All-Ireland titles brought back home in the last four years. The biographer, Arthur James O’Dea, a researcher with Newstalk, charts the careers of Micky Mackey, Joe McGrath, Breda Quaid, Tom Ryan, Eamonn Cregan, Ger Hegarty,Shane Fitzgibbon, Stephen Lucey and Shane Dowling and in doing so paints a detailed picture of a county that has never lost hope in the barren years.

Niall Patterson, Field of Dreams – An autobiography with Seamus Maloney

Seamus Maloney knows his hurling, and he’s co-written this memorable and entertaining book charting the career of former Antrim goalkeeper Niall Patterson. Goalkeeper and captain of the Loughgiel team won the All Ireland Club hurling title in 1983 and goalkeeper on the Antrim team who reached the 1989 All Ireland Hurling final, Niall Patterson is a thoughtful yet charismatic character and this is a top-class memoir.

My First Gaelic Football Match and My First Hurling-Camogie Match – By co-authors Kevin O’Boyle and Michael Gerard Doherty and illustrator Ciaran Orchin

MICHAEL Gerard Doherty’s innovative booklets are aimed at primary school children but go far beyond traditional coaching tips and techniques, focusing equally on feelings, frustrations and, most importantly, fun. They are part skill sheet, part photo album, part scrapbook, offering a chance to learn and a chance to bond – and have proved hugely popular with clubs across Ireland and beyond since their launch earlier this year. Exploring themes such as ‘The good team-mate’, ‘GAA superheroes and super skills’, ‘The GAA reporter’, ‘My Kit Bag’, ‘At home with the GAA’ and ‘I care, let’s talk’ across the next six weeks, Doherty hopes to connect with younger readers and parents alike as their journey within the GAA unfolds.

A Season of Sundays, 2022 – Sportsfile

Each year Ray McManus and his team of photographers travel the highways and byways to capture the football and hurling season in all its colours and moods. From the dark days of winter to the high dramas of summer. Along the way we meet the players, the managers, the fans and the unsung heroes behind the scenes – the main players on the GAA stage. Sportsfile vivid and memorable images are enriched by Alan Milton’s insightful captions in this, the 26th year of A Season of Sundays