TWO VERY DIFFERENT tales of life in the saddle head the list of nominees for the 2011 Irish Sports Book of the Year Award.
The autobiographies of jockey Tony McCoy and pro cyclist Nicolas Roche both feature among the six shortlisted titles, announced this morning as part of the annual Bord Gáis Irish Book Awards.
The two riders are joined by former Liverpool and Republic of Ireland star Ronnie Whelan for his memoir Walk On, while Philip O’Connor’s tale of life with the Stockholm Gaels GAA club in A Parish Far from Home is included as well.
Rugby also features heavily among the nominees. Donncha O’Callaghan’s forthcoming autobiography Joking Apart receives a nod as does Engage, Paul Kimmage’s superbly drawn tale of the life of Matt Hampson, the English rugby star whose career was tragically cut short by a spinal injury.
This year’s winner will be announced at an awards dinner in Dublin’s RDS on 17 November. Previous recipients of the prize include Paul McGrath, Trevor Brennan, Ronan O’Gara and John Giles.
Irish Sports Book of the Year 2011 – Nominees
- My Autobiography by AP McCoy
- A Parish Far From Home by Philip O’Connor
- Joking Apart: My Autobiography by Donncha O’Callaghan
- Engage: The Fall and Rise of Matt Hampson by Paul Kimmage
- Inside the Peloton by Nicolas Roche
- Walk On: My Life in Red by Ronnie Whelan and Tommy Conlon
