merrion street

Thursday 7th November 2013: Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, will this evening (6 pm) launch the book "Forging a Kingdom - The GAA in Kerry 1884 - 1934" by Richard McElligott in Wynn's Hotel, Abbey Street, Dublin 1.

"Forging a Kingdom" chronicles the early history of the GAA in Kerry. The author, Richard McElligott, completed his PhD on the early history of the GAA with the School of History and Archives in UCD, and is currently a lecturer and teaching assistant in the school as well as being the Chairman of the Sports History Ireland Society.

Minister Deenihan commented:

"Richard is to be complemented for this detailed study. He examines the driving forces behind the formation of the GAA, both nationally and locally in county Kerry, and explores what sport in Ireland was like before the GAA arrived.

"His book assesses the reasons for the GAA’s initial popularity among Irish people in terms of politics, culture and economics. It also details the problems involved in the formation of the first clubs in Kerry, their adaption to the GAA’s rules, and the struggles in forming a County Board and trying to run and administer the GAA’s organisation in such a large and physically challenging county.

"This book is not only a local history of the Kerry GAA. Rather, it is an examination of the entire history of the GAA which takes Kerry as its case study. I believe it has the potential to be one of the most important works ever produced on the history of our great Association, and is a valuable template for all those who wish to write about the development of the GAA in their own counties".