PAUL ROUSE is Professor of History at University College Dublin and writes a column on sport for the Irish Examiner; he is also a host of the Irish Examiner Sport podcast. Away from the worlds of academia and writing, Paul managed the Offaly footballers in 2018.
‘So many disparate tales somehow fit together and evoke a full range of emotions. From grieving a lost Irish US Open tennis champion, to smiling at a hurling rivalry during the War of Independence, I learned so much – and felt so much – throughout.’ – JOANNE CANTWELL
ISBN: 9781785374548 9781785374548 ISBN
MERRION PRESS
MERRION PRESS
9 781785 374548
www.merrionpress.ie
PAUL ROUSE
‘The meaning of sport lies in how it makes a person feel; sport which leaves you feeling nothing has no relevance.’ So begins Sport in Modern Irish Life, where leading sports historian and bestselling author Paul Rouse grapples with the concept of every individual’s relationship with sport being unique to him or herself, but also intimately connected with the universal.
SPORT IN MODERN IRISH LIFE
‘Take everything you think you know about sport, park it and enjoy wonderfully told stories through a completely unique lens. Brilliantly written and put together … A must read.’ – OISÍN MCCONVILLE
Throughout this superb collection of articles and essays, Paul Rouse explores, in his inimitable and always engaging style, the undeniable fact that for large sections of society there is no greater pastime than the pursuit and discussion of sport in all its guises.
SPORT IN MODERN IRISH LIFE
PAUL ROUSE
Whether it’s describing an annual sports day, the harrowing events of Hillsborough, the intersection of sport and Irish history, or the sporting idols who have made an impression upon the author, no stone is left unturned in this essential addition to understanding the pivotal role of sport in life in Ireland and further afield. The essays and stories that comprise Sport in Modern Irish Life are the culmination of the author’s sporting experience as a player, manager, supporter, consumer, journalist and historian. They are an attempt to record, in the round, at least some of the sheer variety of experiences available in sport. And they are a reminder, too, that the wheel never stops turning.
MERRION PRESS