Category: Writing

Essay Published in the Journal of Sports Literature

10 March 2022

I’m delighted that my essay ‘A Place Beyond Words’ has been published in Aethlon: The Journal of Sports Literature. Aethlon is a publication of the Sports Literature Association, which is centred at East Tennessee State University. It’s a print journal published twice yearly and publishes works about sport and sport literature, including original fiction and poetry, juried scholarly and critical essays, and book reviews. My essay is about the intersections between art and sport and features in my upcoming book, The Game which will be published by Merrion Press. More information about my book here. More information about Aethlon here.

The Game Listed as one of the 2022 Books to Look Out For

9 January 2022

It was lovely to see my next book, The Game: A Lifetime Inside and Outside the White Lines listed in TheJournal.ie and The Irish Times as one of those to look out for in 2022. In such good company, it’s going to be an amazing year of writing.

‘Possession’ from Winter Papers features on Arena

7 December 2021

I was delighted that my sports essay ‘Possession’ from Winter Papers featured on on the RTÉ Radio 1 arts show Arena. The programme was devoted to Winter Papers 7 and Billy O’Callaghan kindly picked out my essay to discuss. You can listen back here (‘Possession’ appears at 43:52).

Irish Examiner piece picked among Sportswriting of the Week

1 December 2021

I was delighted that my piece Boring pubs, jumpy legs, Midleton and Glen Rovers: A boy watches his first county final was picked by those lovely people at The42.ie as one of their Sportswriting of the Week choices – in some heady company. You can read the four selections here.

‘Possession’ published in The Winter Papers

13 November 2021

I’m delighted that my sports essay ‘Possession’ was published in the 2021 version of The Winter Papers. The Winter Papers is one of the highlights of the year in the world of Irish literature and it’s wonderful to be part of it. Thanks to Kevin Barry and Olivia Smith for this great honour. The Winter Papers is now on sale in all good bookshops or here.

Essay published in The Winter Papers

13 November 2021

Video of Interview for Croke Park GAA Museum Now Live

30 October 2021

The video of my interview with Julianne McKeigue of the Croke Park GAA Museum, marking the selection of The First Sunday in September as the Museum Book Club Book of the Month in their book club. I really enjoyed the chat with Julianne. You can watch the interview here.

Event at Mallow Arts Festival October 30th

27 October 2021

I’m delighted to be part of Mallow Arts Festival 2021 with an event at Mallow GAA Complex at Carrigoon on Sunday October 30th. Very much looking forward to meeting old friends and talking about my writing.

The First Sunday in September Croke Park GAA Museum’s Book Club Choice

27 October 2021

I am very honoured that The First Sunday in September is the Croke Park GAA Museum’s Book Club Choice for October 2021. Each month the GAA Museum team choses a well-known GAA book to read and review and at the end of the month, the museum hosts a free online interview with the author, in which members can submit questions and comments. Personally it’s a lovely feeling that visitors to Croke Park have the opportunity to buy the book there, in the stadium around which the novel hinges. Three years after it’s publication it also brings new readers to the book, from all over Ireland and abroad, which is great. It’s also brilliant to be following in the footsteps of such amazing writers as Mary White, Christy O’Connor, Dave Hannigan, Michael Foley and Paul Rouse. And I’m sure that great books will feature in the GAA Museum Book Club in

A Better Version of Ourselves

30 July 2019

I’m in West Kerry, on holidays. I’m standing outside Paudie Ó Sé’s pub catching my breath after a fervid two hours of championship hurling magic conjured out the air by Tipperary and Wexford. Sandmartins weave a dreamy thread of air above me. A benign sun pulses light and heat, easing away the dark intensity of the match inside. I check my pulse: 89 bpm – good. When Séamus Callanan scored his transcendent goal after ten minutes of the game – delaying and delaying and delaying the hit until the ball was the apex of its third bounce – I felt my breath catch and my heart lose purchase and my ears buzz and I had to put a hand on the counter of the bar and calm myself. The fitbit showed my heart-rate then at 103 bmp – not good.

Tadhg Coakley

Writing