In 2001, Cormac McAnallen was voted Young Footballer of the Year. In 2003, he helped Tyrone to its first-ever All-Ireland championship win, and was named an All-Star. He was, by any measure, one of the best and most promising young footballers in Ireland. But in March 2004, Cormac McAnallen died suddenly of an undetected heart condition. He was, truly, a young star cut down just as he entered his prime. As he worked his way up through the ranks of club, school and inter-county football, Cormac almost always had his brother D nal - just a year older - by his side. Nobody else in the world knew as well as D nal did how badly Cormac wanted to succeed, how hard he worked, or how much thought he put into his game. In The Pursuit of Perfection, D nal McAnallen draws upon Cormac's diaries and frank self-assessments, and his own memories of their experiences, to create a remarkable portrait of a young sportsman's mindset and methods. It is both one of the most remarkable GAA books ever written and - in its intimacy and depth - a book that transcends Gaelic games.

Author Biography

D nal McAnallen is a former national treasurer and secretary of Comhairle Ardoideachais, the GAA's Higher Education Council, and the author of The Cups That Cheered- A History of the Sigerson, Fitzgibbon and Higher Education Gaelic Games.