Cover Art Provided by Cork University Press Why do Irish footballers leave Ireland to play elsewhere? What motivates them to leave their homeland? What are their experiences like outside of Ireland? Dr. Conor Curran’s latest work, Irish Soccer Migrants: A Social and Cultural History, is a fascinating analysis on Irish footballers and their work abroad. It’s easily the most definitive read on Irish football, tracing the career of Irish-born players across England, Europe, and the United States. It covers a massive period
Politics have had an immense impact on the beautiful game, both good and bad. Yes, the game has been known to stop civil wars (i.e. Nigeria and the Ivory Coast) or even start a war in the first place (i.e. “The Football War” between Honduras and El Salvador). The recent FIFA scandal shows how dirty politics have stained our beautiful game. In the case of Ireland, politics splintered a football association and a great footballing country. Cover Art Courtesy of
