Moneygall author wins Sports Book of the Year
Author and former Nenagh Guardian columnist, Eimear Ryan, has won the Sports Book of the Year gong at the annual Irish Book Awards.
Ryan, currently a columnist with the Irish Examiner, was named the top sports book writer at the gala An Post Book Awards night on Wednesday of last week.
Her memoir, The Grass Ceiling, took home the Eason Sports Book of the Year in association with Ireland AM at the ceremony held in the Convention Centre in Dublin.
The local author joined a list of other top writers including Liz Nugent, Claire Keegan, Peter Donnelly, Sarah Webb, Lucinda Jacob and Mark O'Connell and other leading authors who won awards on the night.
RYAN PRAISED
In The Grass Ceiling, acclaimed novelist Eimear Ryan digs deep into the confluence of gender and sport, and all the questions it throws up about identity, status, competition and self-expression.
At a time when women's sport is on the rise but still a long way from equality, her winning book has been described as “a sharp, nuanced and heartfelt exploration of questions that affect everyone who loves sport”.
The publication has received glowing reviews from critics, Malachy Clerkin of the Irish Times who described it as “a gorgeous memoir about a life lived in sport, specifically a female, Irish rural life.”
Writer Kathleen McNamee said the book was “a love letter to the GAA and a diatribe against the idea sport is not for women”, while The Irish Times described it as “lyrical, urgent, wise and bracing.”
Ryan hails form a well-known and highly respected family who have given tremendous service to the GAA in her native Moneygall and Tipperary over several decades. The author’s late grandfather Séamus Ó Riain was national GAA President from 1967 to 1970.
Brendan Corbett, Chairperson of the An Post Irish Book Awards, said: “The An Post Irish Book Awards has established itself as a highlight of the Irish literary calendar and we are immensely proud of what we’ve achieved through a broad coalition of readers, writers, publishers, sponsors, booksellers and librarians.
“Many Irish books have been published during the last year, not only by established writers but also by a number of incredibly talented newcomers who are a wonderful addition to the Irish literary scene.
“We are delighted to congratulate all of this year’s winners of the An Post Irish Book Awards. First awarded in 2006, the An Post Irish Book Awards celebrate and promote Irish writing to the widest range of readers possible.”