Micheal's GAA Odyssey: A Celebration of Gaelic Game

Since the establishment of the Gaelic Athletic Association in Thurles on November 1, 1884, the GAA has born some of the most memorable and captivating events in Irish history. From the "Bloody Sunday" massacre in 1913 to the lifting of Rule 42, banning "foreign" games from GAA grounds, the Association’s often turbulent history has mapped the changing political and social landscape of the Irish nation. Yet throughout its existence, it is the story of its games and the heroic players who graced them that resonates strongest. From the "Thunder and Lightning" hurling final of 1939, the emergence of Ulster’s first All-Ireland champions in 1960, Offaly’s denial of Kerry’s bid for immortality in 1982, how Dublin and Meath’s epic four-game battle in 1991 rescued the GAA, hurling and football have produced some of the most wonderful moments in Irish sport. Since he first took up the microphone in 1949, Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh’s magical radio commentary with RTÉ has provided a lyrical and hugely engaging soundtrack to those great occasions. And in Ring, Kehir, Mackey, Carey, Ó Halpín, Purcell, Heffernan, Spillane, and Canavan, the GAA has produced characters whose deeds have been immortalised. Here is the comprehensive guide to all things GAA. From the sublime to the down-right ridiculous, from the whimsical to the deadly serious, Mícheál details the people, places, and moments which have made the GAA the most unique sports organization in the world.