Conor Curran Livres

This book is the first full-length assessment of the history of soccer in Dublin and the game’s role within society in the city. It examines the sport's growth there from the late 1800s to the early twenty-first century. It discusses its belated initial development while exploring the origins of clubs, competitions, and venues. It also assesses the growth of underage structures and discusses the significance of links with Britain and further afield. As well as tracing the movement of players at home and abroad, it highlights the tensions between organizers of soccer and other sporting codes in Dublin. Utilizing interviews with players, managers, and supporters, as well as drawing on archival material, it also looks at the importance of soccer within the lives of Dublin’s residents. In doing so, it sets the game’s history there within the context of other parts of Ireland and within wider developments in international cities.

The book explores the evolution of physical education in Irish primary and secondary schools throughout the twentieth century, highlighting its decline in status post-1921 partition. It analyzes the impact of educational policies and societal attitudes, noting the lack of implementation of the Sokol system and the delayed introduction of compulsory physical education until the late 1960s. Despite the establishment of the National College of Physical Education in 1973, Irish schools continued to lag behind their European counterparts, while Northern Ireland's approach mirrored UK developments but also faced challenges.

This book looks at the experiences and achievement levels of Irish-born football migrants to Britain and further afield. In particular, it draws on interviews with twenty-four Irish-born footballers.