Review
n indispensable guide for any Olympics obsessive
- Faster, Higher, Stronger
- Ashfield Press
Faster, Higher, Stronger
More than a simple reference book on Ireland’s Olympians of the past 100 years (though it is that also), this is a history of Ireland at the modern Olympic games. Researched and written by two of Irelands best-known sports journalists, it illustrates - in words and pictures - how Ireland , for a country with such a small population, has competed and achieved substantially in this greatest of sporting competitions.
From the first Irish gold medal - won by tennis player John Puis Boland, in 1896, to Sonia O’Sullivan’s great silver in 2000 - no one is forgotten.
I would hazard a guess that this is the most comprehensive book of its kind to date; with a full list of Irish teams from 1924 to 2004 and detailed profiles, facts and yarns on the forgotten winners and also-rans alike. Jerry Milner, winner of the free rifle (1000 yards) in 1908, for example, also holds the distinction of being the oldest Irishman ever to compete in an Olympic games. Or did you know that the archer Beatrice Hill-Lowe became the first Irish woman to compete in 1908?
With over 100 years worth of facts, figures, anecdotes and interviews - it covers the highs and lows of sports men and women throughout Ireland - both north and south.
This book is essential reading for any Irish sports fan, glued to the coverage of Beijing this year. Scrupulously researched, wonderfully written and with pictures galore - an indispensable guide.
