The Pursuit of Perfection

The Life, Death and Legacy of Cormac McAnallen

Dónal McAnallen

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English

Penguin Books Ltd
15 May 2018

Biography: sport; Gaelic football

An intimate portrait of the rise of a young sportsman

In 2001, Cormac McAnallen was voted Young Footballer of the Year. In 2003, he helped Tyrone to its first-ever All-Ireland championship win, and was named an All-Star. He was, by any measure, one of the best and most promising young footballers in Ireland.

But in March 2004, Cormac McAnallen died suddenly of an undetected heart condition. He was, truly, a young star cut down just as he entered his prime.

As he worked his way up through the ranks of club, school and inter-county football, Cormac almost always had his brother D nal - just a year older - by his side. Nobody else in the world knew as well as D nal did how badly Cormac wanted to succeed, how hard he worked, or how much thought he put into his game.

In The Pursuit of Perfection, D nal McAnallen draws upon Cormac's diaries and frank self-assessments, and his own memories of their experiences, to create a remarkable portrait of a young sportsman's mindset and methods. It is both one of the most remarkable GAA books ever written and - in its intimacy and depth - a book that transcends Gaelic games.

By: Dónal McAnallen
Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm, Spine: 22mm
Weight: 256g
ISBN: 9780241974384
ISBN 10: 0241974380
Pages: 368
Publication Date: 15 May 2018
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

D nal McAnallen is a former national treasurer and secretary of Comhairle Ardoideachais, the GAA's Higher Education Council, and the author of The Cups That Cheered- A History of the Sigerson, Fitzgibbon and Higher Education Gaelic Games.

Reviews for The Pursuit of Perfection: The Life, Death and Legacy of Cormac McAnallen

Exceptional ... Unique and compelling, raw and moving ... Much better than any myth or legend -- Paul Rouse * Irish Examiner * Beautifully told -- Dermot Crowe * Sunday Independent * A touching, sometimes bracing biography ... It feels like a final word, the family's last say on how he lived and how he died and how he ought to be remembered. -- Malachy Clerkin * Irish Times * Heart-rending ... It is a painstakingly researched work - aided by the fact that both brothers kept meticulous diaries - and what's striking about the story is the pressure that Cormac was under despite or maybe because of his success with Tyrone * Sunday World * Never has a sports book been more aptly titled. Seldom has there been the same level of care over every single word * Belfast Telegraph * Dónal's candour in chronicling that night [of Cormac's death] and the days and weeks that followed would bring a tear to a stone * Irish News *