Great Irish Sports Stars – serie

OLYMPIAN, WORLD CHAMPION RUNNER AND IRISH SPORTING LEGEND‘Sonia walked to the start line with the other athletes, her tummy full of butterflies. She could feel the eyes of the crowd upon them. Sixty-five thousand people, all here to watch their race. She had dreamt about this moment for so long, and now it was here.’As a little girl, playing with her friends in Cobh, Co. Cork, Sonia O’Sullivan was known as the fastest runner. When she joined a running club and started to win races, she began to dream of the Olympic Games. Through her talent, dedication and her ability to get back up and dust herself down when things went wrong. Sonia went from an ordinary girl who loved to run to an extraordinary world class athlete.The story of one of Ireland’s greatest ever athletes -- and a dream made real.

The inspiration behind many of Ireland's greatest days, Shay Given earned 134 caps for his country and played in goal for Ireland for 20 years! From the time he was a young boy playing football with his brothers in the front garden of their Donegal home, Shay Given dreamed of football glory. Leaving home at just sixteen to join Celtic, Shay had to face many challenges on the road to becoming a world-class goalkeeper. He went on to play for top clubs like Newcastle United and Manchester City, played in the Champions League, and was the last line of defence for Ireland at the World Cup and the European Championships. The inspirational life story of the Republic of Ireland’s longest-serving player.

OLYMPIAN, HOCKEY WORLD CUP GOALKEEPER OF THE TOURNAMENT, WINNER OF FOUR ALL AMERICAN AWARDS'It was down to Ayeisha now. If she saved the next penalty, Ireland, the tournament underdogs, would be in the final – for the first time ever.'Growing up in Larne in County Antrim, Ayeisha was fearless. If she wasn’t climbing trees, she was playing soccer, Irish dancing or throwing the javelin. When Ayeisha discovered hockey, she was hooked! The inspirational story of one of the best hockey goalkeepers in the world, who lost her mum at a young age, went into foster care, and found a home between the goal posts in the Senior Women’s Irish hockey team.

How a little kid from Dublin became a world champion boxer. Bernard Dunne tells his own story in his own words: for children!Growing up in Neilstown, west Dublin, Bernard Dunne was always going to be a boxer. His Dad Brendan was an Olympic boxer in his day, and coached in the CIE club in Inchicore, and his two big brothers were skilled boxers too. As Bernard grew up boxing taught him to believe in himself and helped him to focus on goals both within the sport and in other parts of his life.Bernard won his first boxing bout, at the age of six and against a ten-year-old, and went on to win thirteen Irish championship titles.In this inspirational book, Bernard describes life as a boy in Neilstown, the ups and downs of his life and career, and the powerful life lessons and skills that sport can teach a child.