Ireland without the GAA would be unimaginable. As it moves past its 125th anniversary, this is the story of how it carved for itself a unique place at the heart of Irish life. Here is a people’s history, commissioned by the GAA, outlining how Gaelic games and the social world around them shaped the lives of generations of Irish people at home and abroad. The Association has impinged on all aspects of life in Ireland and this influence is explored through thirteen broad chapters. From how and where Gaelic games were played and watched to their impact on and interaction with Irish communities, the Irish abroad, politics, women in the GAA, music and much more, this history sets the GAA experience against that of a changing Irish society. Lavishly illustrated with previously unseen photographs and original historical documents, this is a book to dip into or read through, with absorbing insights into a world that is both uniquely Irish and global. In short, this book is about how generations of Irish people have spent their time in the hours between work and sleep, in thrall to their games and the association which organises them.