The GAA: A People's History

The GAA: A People's History by Cronin, Mike. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9781848890183.

Ireland without the GAA is unimaginable. As the Association moves past its 125th anniversary, this is the story of how it has carved for itself a unique place at the heart of Irish life. Commissioned by the GAA, this is a peoples history. It outlines how Gaelic games and the social world which revolves around the Association, has shaped the lives of generations of Irish people at home and abroad. From parades and ballads to epic journeys across land and sea, this history of the GAA is as much about what happened off the field as what happened on it. Lavishly illustrated with previously unseen photographs and original historical documents, this is a book with absorbing insights into a world that is uniquely Irish, yet has a global reach. It sets the GAA experience in the context of an island in the midst of significant change. Political revolution, social upheaval and a shifting cultural landscape are all reflected in the story of the GAA. It documents the successes and failures, the controversies, the diversity, the passion and the sheer fascination of life with the GAA. In short, this book is about how generations of Irish people have spent their time in the hours between work and sleep, in thrall to their games and the Association that organises them.