New book captures the impact of Irish sports worldwide

By Daniel O’Neill

A new ebook written by Clonakilty native Samuel Kingston dives into the contributions the Irish have made in the world of sport across the globe. It looks at the history of the Irish in sport and the immense impact these people have made in their own respective fields.

The ebook contains 350 profiles of individuals and teams and describes a summary of their achievements and what they accomplished. It investigates 33 varied sports and various sports stars such as Joseph Carr who laid the foundation for the NFL in American football and James Hiram McLaughlin who contributed greatly to wrestling. It highlights how these people are all connected through their Irish heritage and shows the importance of Irish identity.

It also discusses teams like Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish American football team and Aussie Rules teams in the Australian outback.

The book shines a light on how thousands of Irish emigrated in the 1800s and became involved in various sports across the globe. Whether it was first generation or second/third generation, the Irish were getting involved and making an impact, and they helped mould the sports into becoming what they are today.

Author Samuel Kingston used this book as a chance to combine his love of both sports and history. He has a history of working with sports stories and worked on ‘Puc na nGael’ (Puck of the Irish) with Éamonn Ó Cualáin, examining the Irish impact on ice hockey in Canada. He hopes this ebook will be the starting point for readers to examine Irish sports history, and continue their journey through more detailed books.

The ebook can be purchased at theirishworldofsport.sellfy.store.