New GAA book has a very strong Tipperary influence and includes a very special cap

A new book in which Tipperary features very prominently has just been nominated in the Irish Book Awards.

Curator and historian Siobhán Doyle has put together an array of treasures, curios and mementoes with commentary and context that are emblematic of the GAA’s history and role in Irish life – including Tipperary GAA in the book entitled: A History of the GAA in 100 Objects.

The book which features something from each of the 32 counties has special mention for Tipperary GAA including a Tubberadora Cap (c.1890s) - from one of the most successful clubs in the early years of the GAA from the Boherlahan/Dualla parish.

The GAA is a part of the Irish consciousness and plays an influential role in Irish society that extends far beyond the sport itself.

In popular imagination and experience, the GAA is often evoked in terms of its objects: medals passed down from generation to generation, jerseys worn in All-Ireland finals, Michael Cusack’s blackthorn stick, a pair of glasses damaged during the events of Bloody Sunday.

The objects of the GAA range from the informal to the formal and are key to the construction of both personal and official histories.

This book repositions a range of objects, originating from the GAA, into the expanded field of Irish history by placing them as central to our understanding of past ideas and experiences.

A History of the GAA in 100 Objects acts as a signpost to significant moments in GAA history, offers fresh perspectives on a previously overlooked area of enquiry and presents new ideas not available elsewhere.

Author Siobhán Doyle is a cultural historian and works in the National Museum of Ireland.

She holds a PhD in Museum Studies from Technological University Dublin and has lectured in Design History.

Siobhán is from county Wexford and has studied and worked in museums in Dublin for ten years. Her research focuses on modern Irish history and this is her first book.

Published by Merrior Press, the book is available in good bookshops throughout Tipperary.