The Pursuit of Perfection

An intimate portrait of the rise of a young sportsman.

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 Dónal - just a year older - by his side. Nobody else in the world knew as well as Dónal 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, Dónal 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.

'Exceptional ... Unique and compelling, raw and moving ... Much better than any myth or legend' Paul Rouse, Irish Examiner

'A touching, sometimes bracing biography ... It feels like a final word, the family's last say on how he lived and how he died and how he ought to be remembered.' Malachy Clerkin, Irish Times

'Beautifully told' Dermot Crowe, Sunday Independent

'Never has a sports book been more aptly titled. Seldom has there been the same level of care over every single word' Belfast Telegraph

'Heart-rending ... It is a painstakingly researched work - aided by the fact that both brothers kept meticulous diaries - and what's striking about the story is the pressure that Cormac was under despite or maybe because of his success with Tyrone' Sunday World

'Dónal's candour in chronicling that night [of Cormac's death] and the days and weeks that followed would bring a tear to a stone' Irish News