Grit and Glory: A Decade at the Club

“A great read that illustrates what idealism, enthusiasm, contagious ambition and sheer determination can achieve. The history of the wider GAA and the formation and progression of a local club, in virgin territory, are interwoven seamlessly.”

Ursula Jacob

“Aidan Lenehan reintroduced himself to hurling after a lapse of some years, a decision which, clearly, he does not regret. Setting up a hurling club in an area where the game has no past brings inevitable obstacles and frustrations. There are regrets too – over lost matches and friends and players who took off to bigger clubs. But never the regret that he made the decision in the first place. This follows his first effort, There Is an F in Hurling, which demands to be read for the title alone. The sequel is an account of how the patient is doing, now up and running. The pages tell us that he is alive and well and looking to the future. Hope, joy and despair are familiar and universal themes, and the unending fascination with a game that never seems to make our curiosity and interest tire. Hurling is a wonderful game, and it is the love of hurling that is at the heart of this engaging and enjoyable book. Fly on Wild Geese.”

Dermot Crowe

“Amateur sport is populated by everyday heroes, who give up their free time in the service of community. This wonderfully enjoyable book shines a light on some of these ordinary-extraordinary people, in a story about togetherness, loss, triumph and the sheer joy of sport.”

Evanne Ní Chuilinn

“A raw, uplifting celebration of friendship and community. This book captures the heart of the GAA and the magic that happens when dreams take root in unlikely places. Every club player, coach, and supporter will see themselves in these pages. It’s a powerful reminder that the real glory in sport lives in the stories we share, not just the scores we keep.”

Darren Frehill

“This is a powerful story of Dublin’s only rural hurling and camogie club — a gritty, heartfelt journey through community, identity, and the quiet beauty of the game. As the club’s first homegrown generation comes of age, this is hurling at its purest: art without an audience, passion without pretence, and a legacy that refused to fade built from the ground up. Along the way, it offers a unique and unfiltered insight into the grassroots of Dublin GAA — where the soul of the sport lives in council fields, quiet sacrifice, and relentless belief.”

Ger Loughnane

Aidan Lenehan is a Galway man who still plays the game of hurling. This is the follow up to his 2012 book There Is a F in Hurling.

Fergal Lenehan is a researcher based in Germany. He has written books on the European idea and on German images of Ireland, co-edited the book Reclaiming the European Street by Michael D. Higgins and contributes regularly to The Currency. He played hurling until the minor grade.

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