Search results for ""author paul darby""

Gaelic sports have been played for over a century in America, and provide a revealing window into the lives and culture of the Irish community there. Much has been written about the ways that the successes of their politicians, the efforts of the Catholic Church and the solace, identity and friendships offered by a whole range of their social, political and charitable organisations helped the Irish adapt to life in urban America. Far less has been said though about the role of sport, let alone Gaelic games, in allowing them to make sense of their new surroundings and deal with the rigours of adjusting to and progressing in the New World. "Gaelic Games, Nationalism and the Irish Diaspora in the United States" redresses this neglect by uncovering the origins and development of Gaelic sport and by exploring the political, economic and social impact that the GAA has had on Irish communities in America. New York, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco, cities that were not only focal points of Irish immigration but were also the main centres of GAA activity in the US, are taken as case studies. The book draws on detailed archival research, interviews with leading figures in the GAA in America and contains a selection of rare photographs of clubs, teams and players of significance which help to bring to life a remarkable story of cultural preservation, persistence and passion for Gaelic games.

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Bringing ancient wisdom into 21st-century lives, this is the ultimate easy-to-follow handbook on Feng Shui. Packed with practical advice, creative solutions and inventive suggestions for every sized budget. Discover how to declutter and cleanse your home through reordering and designing the space along the principles of chi (the subtle spiritual energy that flows through everything in the universe). The Energizing Art of Feng Shui is designed to help you work with what you already have. You don't need to take extreme measures like moving entrance ways or knocking down walls. Covering every room in your home or apartment, this book will teach you how to boost beneficial chi and control harmful chi through rearranging objects and clearing clutter. You can improve chi through small changes such as removing mirrors or TVs from the bedroom, or maybe you'll try a bigger project like rearranging your living room to avoid the "poison arrows" of sharp corners that can create tension in a room. This invaluable guide will help you bring real balance and happiness into your home.

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Ireland 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 these games had in helping the Diaspora adjust to life in what were often inhospitable environs. The second part of the book extends the analysis by examining the contribution of Irish sports men and women to the sports culture that they encountered in their new homes and assessing the ways in which their involvement in these sports allowed them to come to terms with and make their way in their new locales. This book was previously published as a special issue of the journal, Sport in Society

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