G.A.A. Publications - 1992
Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 1992, pp. 157-158
By the time this Yearbook appears the history of Holycross-Ballycahill by Bob Stakelum will probably have made the shops. Or so Bob hopes. At the time of this writing the book is with the printers and it is intended to have it in the shops by Christmas. It will be about 400 pages long and will cost £10. There will be a print run of six hundred. Well done, Bob, but we shall have to wait until next year for a review.
Another book that is in the offing is the history of Golden-Kilfeacle by Willie Ryan and a FAS team. I asked Willie recently would he have it out before Charlie goes and he told me he was in no rush. I'm not quite sure if he meant Charlie or the book! Good work, Willie.
The Galtee Rovers' book, which has been in the pipeline for some time hasn't yet appeared. Initially I heard it was only a financial matter and as soon as the finances were right the book would appear. I hope so, because with author Seamus McCarthy the new manager of the county senior football team and hell bent to bring a Munster title to the county, there won't be much time for writing.
The great hurling story of Thurles Sarsfields is also in a spot of bother. It was believed that the late Donie O'Gorman had all the work completed but it now transpires that such was not the case. Quite a bit of research and writing has to be completed before the book will see the light of day. The task is being undertaken by Liam O'Donnchu.
Finally, on the county scene, the history of underage games in Tipperary should be out around Christmas. The book has been completed and is with the printers but whether it will make the shops by Christmas is not yet certain. It will contain over two hundred pages and about eighty photographs and it covers the organisation of juvenile games in the county since the first attempt in 1928 to organise them.
The Hogan Stand
G.A.A. magazines don't have a long life, for some reason. There are a few notable exceptions, but, in general, there is not the same loyalty among young people to a G.A.A. magazine as there is to a soccer magazine like Shoot, for instance. Maybe it's the quality of the production and the stronger appeal of international sports stars.
A new G.A.A. magazine hit the newstands on March 22 and it is still making G.A.A. deadlines. Called the Hogan Stand, it is subtitled 'Your Weekly G.A.A. Magazine' and it is published by Lynn Publications, Creevagh, Crossakiel, Kells, Co. Meath. It claimed to be the first weekly G.A.A. magazine and promsed to be regular, colourful and informative.
Since the beginning it has given a good coverage of inter-county affairs and now, with the decline in inter-county activity, it is concentrating its attention to counties and schools and lesser areas of G.A.A. activity. Its chief contributor is Eugene McGee and it has a number of guest writers from different counties. One of the most regular is John McIntyre, the former Tipperary centre back.
Overall it appears to be going okay with a plentiful supply of advertising, without which such productions cannot flourish. It gives a weekly results section and a good supply of pictures in colour and black and white. It sells for £1 and appears on Thursdays.
Gael Sport was always a colourful and professionally produced annual for young people, which hits the shops at Christmas. Since October it has appeared as a monthly and quite attractive it looks. It appears to have the qualities that will appeal to younger people with the emphasis on colour, action shots, short pieces on players and excitement in general. There was a very big Tipperary focus in the first issue and camogie and Leitrim receive emphasis in the second production.
It should do well and is attractively priced at £1. However, it appears to have fallen down on distribution. The shops in Cashel hadn't heard of it. One magazine shop in Clonmel had heard of it but hadn't received it while a second had. If you're going to sell a magazine you should make it easy for the public to go and buy it. Another crib, I had to search the November issue to find our where it came from, who was the editor and information that should be slap bang inside the front cover. And, what really annoyed me was the civil service mentality of the following statement: 'Gael Sport is an official publication of C.L.G. but its published views are not necessarily those of the Association'. It reminds me of Dev sending the delegation to London as plenipotentiaries but insisting that they report back before they signed anything.
Giants of the Ash
I bought my copy of this book by banker, Brendan Fullam, a couple of days ago and haven't had sufficient time to study it. Most of you have read the reviews and they have been many. The reason for the publicity may be because it's the first of its kind, seventy-five profiles of the greats in hurling based on interviews taken over a period of ten years. Tipperary is represented by Liam Devaney, Jim Devitt, John Doyle, Tommy Doyle, Martin Kennedy, John Maher, Michael Maher, Tony Reddin, Johnny Ryan, Pat Stakelum and Tommy Treacy.
Each profile begins with quotations from the interview with the player. In the case of Jim Devitt it begins: 'The game of hurling is a noble art of the best field game, but I am sorry to say it has lost some of its basic skills, such as ground hurling, the drop puck, and the clash of the ash as the centrefields fought in the air for possession'. There is more and the account goes on to give Jim's career in hurling.
Each piece is captioned by the name of the player, his years playing at inter-county level, the name of the player's club and county and the player's signature. This is a major work with black and white photographs of the players and some colour pictures as well. The book has been so well received that a sequel is planned which would include more contemporary players. For instance, Jimmy Doyle isn't included. My only crib is the price of the book, £15.95, which is a bit saucy, even if it is a well produced work of 254 pages by the Wolfhound Press.
Have a good read!