Description
Book SynopsisIreland and its inhabitants have often been described as being sports mad'. As a relatively small geographical entity, Ireland, north and south, has produced a disproportionately high number of world class sports men and women who have excelled at the highest levels of their chosen sport. The significance of sport in Ireland though extends far beyond the achievements of such individuals. Sport has historically assumed a centrality in the lives of the island's inhabitants, a fact that can be measured by the numbers and commitment of participants as well as the emotional and financial investment of fans.
This book seeks to address the ways in which Irish aptitude and ebullience for sport has manifested itself in those parts of the world that have or have had relatively large Irish communities. The first part of the book explores the diffusion of Gaelic games to a number of centres of Irish immigration and examines the social, economic, political and psychological impact that the
Table of Contents
Introduction: The Irish contribution to the ‘world’ of sport. Part 1: The Irish Diaspora & Gaelic Sport. 1: The diffusion of Gaelic games to Europe. 2: The GAA in Scotland. 3: The GAA in England. 4: The GAA in Australia. 5: Gaelic Games, Ethnic Identity and Irish Nationalism in New York City c.1880-1917 6. The Development of Camogie in Britain. Part 2: The Irish Diaspora & Global Sport. 7: The Irish contribution to Baseball in the United States. 8: The Irish in Cricket in Australia. 9: Liverpool Football Club’s Irish Connection. 10: John L Sullivan, Boxing and Identity amongst the Boston Irish. 11: The Irish contribution to Basketball in the US. 12: Rugby and the Irish Diaspora