There I Long to Be

A fundamental tenet of the GAA is under threat in a manner that has not happened in its 140-year history. For generations, the GAA club has been the beating heart of Irish communities — rooted in the parish, sustained by volunteers and inseparable from identity. But today, that foundation is under threat.

In this deeply personal and sharply observed memoir, journalist Mick Clifford traces the seismic shifts that have brought the GAA to a crossroads. From his childhood in football-mad Iveragh to three decades in Dublin — where he mentored his son's team and witnessed the sport's urban transformation — Clifford explores the widening gap between tradition and modernity.

Blending reportage, interviews and historical insight with a lightness of touch, he examines the forces reshaping the club system and asks: what must be done to preserve the soul of the GAA? This is a story of memory, belonging and the future of a movement that has always been more than just sport.