There I Long to Be
Life through a GAA lens
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Bonnier Books Ltd
Publishing:1st Oct '26
£16.99
This title is due to be published on 1st October, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
A fundamental tenet of the GAA is under threat in a manner that has not happened in its 140-year history.
For generations, the GAA club has been the beating heart of Irish communities - rooted in the parish, sustained by volunteers and inseparable from identity. But today, that foundation is under threat.
In this deeply personal and sharply observed memoir, journalist Mick Clifford traces the seismic shifts that have brought the GAA to a crossroads. From his childhood in football-mad Iveragh to three decades in Dublin - where he mentored his son's team and witnessed the sport's urban transformation - Clifford explores the widening gap between tradition and modernity.
Blending reportage, interviews and historical insight with a lightness of touch, he examines the forces reshaping the club system and asks: what must be done to preserve the soul of the GAA?
This is a story of memory, belonging and the future of a movement that has always been more than just sport.
'A beautiful journey of the GAA through the decades, from the depths of rural South Kerry to Dublin bursting at the seams. It encapsulates all that is great about the GAA but also the major problems that exist and must be tackled' -- Pat Spillane
'Only Mick Clifford could have written this lovely book. It is brilliant to read, creative and compelling. It places personal experience within a society that is in the throes of immense change. And through it all are the constants of family, friendship and sport. It crosses the generations, tying together past and present, in a unique style' -- Paul Rouse
'Ireland is changing at a breathless pace. Urban areas are overwhelmed, and the parish is challenged like never before. Mick Clifford delivers a brilliant, passionate memoir of grassroots GAA, warning what could be lost if Gaelic Games fails to adapt to a changing world' -- Damian Lawlor
ISBN: 9781804443262
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
304 pages