We’re back!

Kicking off a new series run of Behind the Lines is Professor of History at UCD, Paul Rouse. Get the full episode by subscribing to The42 now!

Across a sprawling, fascinating conversation, we discuss Paul’s new book, Sport in Modern Irish Life, and how he broke new ground to give sport the academic rigour and respect it warrants. Paul explains why ‘sportswashing’ does not adequately explain the involvement of nation states in modern sport, and we also discuss how the GAA adopted convenient but false stories in its early decades to align itself with political nationalism. Why did the GAA do this, what damage did it cause, and what is the legacy of this mythmaking today? Paul also lays out the difficult questions the GAA must ask itself to make itself fit for purpose in modern-day Ireland.

Paul also defends the spectacle of modern-day Gaelic football, explains what everyone got wrong about Saipan, and runs us through his lecture series on Muhammad Ali and picks the sportsperson whose career and life could be used to explain the world today.

Writing-wise, Paul recommends:The Pursuit of Perfection: The Life, Death and Legacy of Cormac McAnallen by Dónal McAnallenThe Hurley Maker’s Son by Patrick DeeleyThe Grass Ceiling by Eimear Ryan