The October reading choice for the GAA Museum Book Club is The First Sunday in September by Tadhg Coakley. This is the first novel we’ve had as our selection since we launched the club in February 2021.

The First Sunday in September brings together a fictional cast of unforgettable characters on the day of the All-Ireland Hurling Final. We meet a hungover Clare man, a long-retired player and a county star amongst others in this page turner which has been described as “technically daring”. The story was referred to as ‘vibrant and authentic, brimming with intensity and desire’ by Donal Ryan.

The novel, first published in 2018 by Mercier Press, was written by Mallow-born writer Tadhg Coakley. Now living in Cork city, Coakley is a graduate of the MA in Creative Writing at University College Cork and his sports writing and essays regularly appear in publications including The Stinging Fly, the Irish Examiner and the Irish Times. He is also a regular guest at literary festivals. His second book Whatever it Takes was released in 2020 and was the Cork One City One Book choice last year.

A free live GAA Museum Book Club chat with Tadhg Coakley will take place on Microsoft Teams at 8.30pm on Thursday October 28th.

You can sign up to be part of the Book Club at www.crokepark.ie/bookclub. Here you can also listen back to previous Book Club author chats including those with Michael Foley (Bloodied Field), Paul Rouse (The Hurlers), Christy O’Connor (Last Man Standing), Mary White (Relentless) and Cormac Moore (The GAA v Douglas Hyde).

If you don’t have, or can’t borrow a copy of The First Sunday in September, the GAA Museum Gift Shop is selling copies with a 20% discount throughout October. www.crokepark.ie/shop.