Cusack's autobiography shortlisted for book award

The explosive autobiography of GAA star Donal Og Cusack and a detailed account of how Ireland clinched Grand Slam glory are among the shortlisted titles for a prestigious book award.

'Come What May' telling Cusack’s experiences of being gay and Alan English’s 'Grand Slam: How Ireland Achieved Rugby Greatness' are pitted against four other titles for the coveted Williamhill.com Irish Sports Book of the Year.

Tony Kenny, PR Manager for William Hill, said it was an excellent year for Irish sports books.

“The standard of competition this year was particularly high,” he said.

“We had some really great books in contention for the award and our shortlist reflects that.”

Other titles in the running include Mickey Harte’s autobiography, 'Harte: Presence is the Only Thing', Damian Lawlor’s tale of a year with the Waterford footballers, 'Working on a Dream', and a detailed account of the golden age of basketball in Ireland in the 1980’s, 'Hanging from the Rafters', by Kieran Shannon.

The award was established in 2006 to celebrate the quality of Irish sports writing.

The inaugural prize went to Paul McGrath for his tale of the ups and downs of his professional football career in 'Back from the Brink'.