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Tuesday 26 September 2023 Dublin: 15°C

# essential reading

Last year
2022
28 of our favourite sports books of 2022
‘The Rodfather’ and other memorable reads.
Formula One's compulsive perfectionist and more of the week's best sportswriting
The New Yorker’s Sam Knight profiles Toto Wolff, plus other great stories.
All time
What it's like to play football on your period and more of the week's best sportswriting
Plus, Tim Keown looks at the NFL’s most beloved player on its most disastrous team.
Ronaldinho's decline from Barcelona greatness to Paraguay prison and more of the week's best sportswriting
Plus, Jonathan Wilson on his parents, loss, memory and Lance Gibbs.
The Second Captain who went in search of George Gibney and more of the week's best sportswriting
Plus, Anthony Daly revists the Offaly trilogy of ’98, the ‘sit-in’ and what haunts him most from a painful year.
James McClean and football’s unhealthy obsession with depoliticising the poppy, and the week's best sportswriting
Plus, the New Yorker’s Louisa Thomas on the ham-handed, money-driven mangling of Sports Illustrated and Deadspin.
A detailed blueprint to fix Manchester United and more of the week's best sportswriting
Plus, a profile of USA Women’s star Rose Lavelle.
Manchester City 'a sportswashing instrument,' and more of the week's best sportswriting
Also featuring a fascinating piece on the unique craft of the hurley maker.
How Martin O'Neill's Nottingham Forest reign crumbled and more of this week's best sportswriting
Plus, a piece on Megan Rapinoe’s greatest heartbreak – and hope.
Catastrophe's Sharon Horgan has curated the top 10 perfect books to bring on your holidays
Two Irish authors feature on her desert island list.
The story of Arsenal's tragic lost star in the making and more of the week's best sportswriting
Remembering Niccolo Galli and more great reads from this week.
'Sports can’t sink much lower than Mayweather-McGregor' and 25 more of the best articles from 2017
Featuring Wright Thompson, Marina Hyde, Paul Kimmage, Rory Smith and many more of the finest journalists out there.
Dublin GAA star Philly McMahon's 'The Choice' named Sports Book of the Year
The book overcame stiff competition from five other nominees.
Here are the 7 sports books shortlisted for the William Hill prize
The choices, which have been whittled down from a longlist of 16, also include Centaur, the memoir of jockey Declan Murphy.
Here are the 16 sports books longlisted for the William Hill prize
Judy Murray’s book on life with her son Andy and a biography on the late Muhammad Ali are among the contenders.
Controversial portrait of McGregor's Dublin, booing Gatlin and the week's best sportswriting
Plus, an interview with Irish international Lindsay Peat and a piece on the legacy of the 2007 New England Patriots.
'The beginnings of the sexual revolution in Derry’ and more of the week's best sportswriting
Plus Sue Ronan banned from street football and ‘Dear Football Gods, we need to talk’.
Conor Murray on Anthony Foley's death and more of the week's best sportswriting
Plus, Paul Kimmage takes a unique look at some of the most celebrated figures in the world of Irish MMA.
Here are our 16 favourite sports books from 2016
Paul O’Connell, Joey Barton and John Kavanagh are among the big names to feature in our list.
Olympic medal predictions, the return of Caster Semenya and the week's best sportswriting
Plus, how Kurt Angle won an Olympic gold medal ‘with a broken freakin’ neck’.
The world champion Irish wrestler, Michelle Smith revisited and the week's best sportswriting
Plus, why the 1916 Philadelphia A’s might have been the worst team ever.
The football-loving terrorist, Caitlyn Jenner's complex Olympic memories and the week's best sportswriting
Also, Steven Gerrard on England and detailed look at the harrowing process of sex-testing female athletes.
Watching Rocky II with Muhammad Ali and more of the week's best sportswriting
Also, a tribute to the late Kimbo Slice and partying with Ronaldo in Bolivia at Copa America ’97.
The rugby star given a shot at the NFL and all the week's best sportswriting
Also, how Match of the Day has become relevant again and why Claudio Ranieri has been underestimated all these years.
Why Conor McGregor is UFC's most important fighter - 50 of the best sports articles of 2015 (part 1)
Also, ‘The Education of Alex Rodriguez,’ Kerry GAA’s lost years and parallells between Roy Keane and Bobby Moore.
Why Chelsea players have a right to feel betrayed by Mourinho and all the week's best sportswriting
Also, the unlikely link between Andy Lee and Anton Chekhov.
Tyson Fury's 'disturbed' mental state & David Simon on baseball; the week’s best sportswriting
Also, why Fifa needs more women and the man whose football dreams were ended by concussion.
Brendan Rodgers is Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting and all the week’s best sportswriting
Plus, an insightful look at Romanian rugby and why bridge is not a sport.
25 years on from Friday Night Lights, a day with JJ Watt and all the week's best sportswriting
Also, seriously injured jockey Robbie McNamara opens up about his ‘dark days’.
Incredible Gatlin, pre-season insight and all the week’s best sportswriting
Grab a cuppa and settle in to catch up on some superb articles.
Brazil's demise, Sampras' reflection and all the week’s best sportswriting
Also, men fighting bears, men fighting men, and NASCAR fighting the Confederate flag.
Mo's missed drug tests, Kimbo v Shamrock and all the week's best sportswriting
This week also features a 1980s arcade game and a look at basketball’s mysterious triangle offence.
'Farcical' LOI, Di Maria an uninterested bystander and the week's best sportswriting
Also featuring ‘The Unbearable Lightness of [Billy] Beane’ and a heartfelt tribute to Tony McCoy.
Tiger's fall, Ireland to win the World Cup and cricket emerging: It’s the week’s best sportswriting
There are also superb pieces on a homeless former college footballer and how the All Blacks coach their players.
Ken Early on Steven Gerrard and the rest of the week’s best sportswriting
Also featuring Barcelona’s identity crisis under Luis Enrique and the baddest motherf***er on the planet.
The other Irish cricketer who captained England and the rest of the week’s best sportswriting
Also featuring the weird world of footballing memorabilia.
Remembering Páidí Ó Sé and David Gillick on mental strength; the week’s best sportswriting
Put the kettle on and relax with these fine articles.
Cruyff on football's lost values and Roger Goodell's parental paradox; it's the week's best sportswriting
Also, the divisive Joey Barton talks Immanuel Kant while a NBA curiosity is remembered.
The GAA's role in the NFL's future and the craziest stunt in wresting; it's the week's best sportswriting
Why would you go outside when there is so much good stuff you haven’t read yet.
The value of Di Maria and behind the scenes of MNF; it's the week's best sportswriting
Plus, a look inside the world of dodgy internet Premier League streams.