FOGARTY, Philip Canon. Tipperary’s G.A.A Story (Rare first edition)

Thurles: The Tipperary Star, 1960. 8vo. pp. 380. Original publisher’s red cloth, spine lettered in gilt, with the original printed dust-jacket featuring the title in bold black lettering with decorative rules and the Tipperary crest. Very good copy in very good dust-jacket. Light wear to jacket and some fading to the spine area as usual; internally clean and sound.

An important early history of the Gaelic Athletic Association in County Tipperary, written by the Very Rev. Canon Philip Fogarty, parish priest of Templemore. The work traces the development of Gaelic games in the county from the foundation of the G.A.A. in the late nineteenth century through to the mid-twentieth century, documenting clubs, players, matches, and the cultural significance of hurling and Gaelic football in Tipperary.

Tipperary occupies a central place in the history of the G.A.A., being one of the most successful counties in the sport of hurling, and closely associated with the founding ideals of the Association. Thurles itself is particularly significant as the birthplace of the G.A.A. in 1884. Fogarty’s detailed account preserves early records, match reports, and local sporting traditions, making the volume an indispensable source for historians of Irish sport, G.A.A. history, and Tipperary local history.

The book was published locally by The Tipperary Star newspaper in Thurles and is today regarded as one of the classic county G.A.A. histories. Copies with the original dust-jacket are increasingly scarce.

A desirable work for collectors of G.A.A. books, Irish sporting history, and Tipperary memorabilia.

[WR sport]