The first book-length academic treatment of rugby football in Ireland. Covering the period from the game's origins in Ireland in the 1870s through to the onset of professional rugby in the twenty-first century, this book seeks to examine Munster rugby within the context of broader social, cultural and political trends in Irish society

This study is the first book-length academic treatment of rugby football in Ireland. Covering the period from the games origins in Ireland in the 1870s through to the onset of professional rugby in the twenty-first century, this book seeks to examine Munster rugby within the context of broader social, cultural and political trends in Irish society. As well as providing a thorough chronological survey of the games development, key themes such as violence, masculinity, class and politics are subject to more detailed treatment.