A concise history of all the major figures in Irish boxing, from Dan Donnelly to Katy Taylor, this new book from highly experienced author Barry Flynn will be a must for fans of Irish boxing all over the world. A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about this ancient sport.

On a hot summer's night, in June 1985, in one of the most emotionally charged fights of all time, Barry McGuigan beat Eusebio Pedroza to become the featherweight champion of the world. An epic battle that lasted a full 15 rounds, it remains one of sport's greatest moments - watched by 27,000 spectators ringside and by a further 20 million on television around the world. Raised in the border town of Clones, Co. Monaghan, at the height of the troubles, Barry McGuigan united people across sectarian and religious divides during a difficult time in the country's political history. A Catholic, Barry married his Protestant childhood sweetheart, Sandra in 1981. An Irishman, he fought for the British title, wearing boxing shorts in the colours of the United Nation's Flag of Peace - and in place of a national anthem his musician father, Pat McGuigan would often sing a heartfelt rendition of 'Danny Boy' before a fight. Engaging and intelligent, McGuigan is a renowned and revered figure in the boxing world and beyond. In this candid autobiography, The Clones Cyclone shares his stories of extraordinary professional triumph and devastating personal tragedy.

The 1921 partition of Ireland had huge ramifications for almost all aspects of Irish life and was directly responsible for hundreds of deaths and injuries, with thousands displaced from their homes and many more forced from their jobs. Two new justice systems were created; the effects on the major religions were profound, with both jurisdictions adopting wholly different approaches; and major disruptions were caused in crossing the border, with invasive checks and stops becoming the norm. And yet, many bodies remained administered on an all-Ireland basis. The major religions remained all-Ireland bodies. Most trade unions maintained a 32-county presence, as did most sports, trade bodies, charities and other voluntary groups. Politically, however, the new jurisdictions moved further and further apart, while socially and culturally there were differences as well as links between north and south that remain to this day. Very little has been written on the actual effects of partition, the-day-to-day implications, and the complex ways that society, north and south, was truly and meaningfully affected. Birth of the Border: The Impact of Partition in Ireland is the most comprehensive account to date on the far-reaching effects of the partitioning of Ireland.

Did you know? On 6 July 1924, high jumper and legendary Gaelic footballer Larry Stanley became the first athlete to represent independent Ireland in an Olympic athletics competition. Tom Kiely, arguably Ireland's greatest athlete, won in excess of 1,000 prizes, five AAA hammer titles and fifty-three national titles between 1888 and 1908. The oldest medallist in Olympic track and field history is Irish-born Matt McGrath, who won a medal in Paris in 1924 at the age of 49 years and 195 days. In the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Ronnie Delany became Ireland's first track champion, winning the 1,500m title with a new Olympic record time of 3:41.2. The Little Book of Irish Athletics is a concise history of all the major occasions in Irish athletics, from the nineteenth century to the Morton Mile of July 2017. This new book from author Tom Hunt is a must for fans of Irish athletics all over the world. A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about Ireland's proud sporting heritage.

The story of boxing legend Jerry Quarry has it all: rags to riches, thrilling fights against the giants of the Golden Age of Heavyweights (Ali—twice, Frazier—twice, Patterson, Norton), a racially and politically electric sports era, the thrills and excesses of fame, celebrities, love, hate, joy, and pain. And tragedy. Like the man he fought during two highly controversial fight cards in 1970 and ’72—Muhammad Ali—boxing great Jerry Quarry was to suffer gravely. He died at age fifty-three, mind and body ravaged by Dementia Pugilistica. In Hard Luck, “Irish” Jerry Quarry comes to life—from his Grapes of Wrath days as the child of an abusive father in the California migrant camps to those as the undersized heavyweight slaying giants on his way to multiple title bouts and the honor of being the World’s Most Popular Fighter in ’68, ’69, ’70, and ’71. The story of Jerry Quarry is one of the richest in the annals of boxing, and through painstaking research and exclusive access to the Quarry family and its archives, Steve Springer and Blake Chavez have captured it all.

The Little Book of Bray & Enniskerry is a compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts.Here you will find out about Bray and Enniskerry's history, their famous faces, their buildings and streets, their sporting heritage and their myths and legends. Through main thoroughfares and twisting back streets, this book takes the reader on a journey through the area's past.A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage and the secrets of these ancient settlements.

Did You Know Van Morrison wrote 'Brown Eyed Girl' on a piano in Derrygonnelly Paddy Monaghan, from Ederney, befriended Mohammad Ali and became known as Paddy-Ali St Molaise brought soil containing blood from early Christian martyrs from the Colosseum in Rome and placed it on Devonian Island Natives of Fermanagh had boats called cots, which were shaped like spoons without handles. They are the only boats in the world to be preserved during winter by being scuttled The Little Book of Fermanagh is a compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts about County Fermanagh. Here you will find out about the county's industrial past, its proud sporting heritage, its arts and culture and its famous (and occasionally infamous) men and women. Through quaint villages and bustling towns, this book takes the reader on a journey through County Fermanagh and its vibrant past. A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about this colourful county.