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

(Paperback)

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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.

Reviews

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 *
Dnal'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 *

Author Bio

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.