The Tipperary G.A.A. Yearbook 2016 is now available in the bookshops and usual outlets. Published annually since 1970 it is an outstanding record of the achievements of club and county in all aspects of the G.A.A. Whereas the main focus of people’s interests my be on hurling and football, camogie and ladies football, the book also tells the complete story of achievements in Scór, handball, Bord na nÓg and other areas of G.A.A. activities.
It is a huge compendium of information that strives to be the complete reference work on the G.A.A. in the county. For instance the section, County Teams 2015, by John Smith includes the lineout of every team that represented the county in all grades of hurling and football during 2015. There is a great reference section for all the results in the Scoreboard 2015 section by Ed Donnelly.
One of the most read sections of the book is, Friends We Lost, obituary notices of the many Gaels who passed away during the past year. And they were many. They include Tony Reddin, Jimmy Doyle, Tomás Ó Baróid, Ray Reidy, Dom Browne, Tom ‘Senator’ Murphy and Jackie Griffin, to name just a number.
The Yearbook always carries a number of feature articles and Seamus Leahy is always a regular in this field. He doesn’t disappoint this year with his account of the 1916 All-Ireland, won by a Boherlahan Selection in January 1917.
Another excellent feature is an article by Pat Bracken in which he presents new evidence on the state of hurling prior to the foundation of the G.A.A. It challenges the accepted view that the game was on its last legs when Michael Cusack revived it.
Finally the Yearbook includes an outstanding selection of photographs which illustrate the stories and gives shape and colour to the boys and girls, men and women that feature in them.
And, all this, 200 pages, for €10!
