1. The Second Captains Sports Annual Volume 2
Following their debut annual last year The Irish Times Second Captains team returns to review a packed sporting year of European Championships, Olympics, the Ryder Cup and more. This is the ultimate loving gift for the Second Captains fan in your family. Or a cousin you don’t really like. Going out with a fella for less than three months, or more than three years? Then the Second Captains Sports Annual, Volume 2 is for you. Price: €20.
2. Retro Lions jerseys
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Ahead of next summer’s tour of New Zealand, why not get in the spirit of the British and Irish Lions with one of the speically produced Canterbury commemorative jerseys? LionsRugby.com will cater for all of your needs, including a 1959 retro jersey. Price: From €90.
3. Creative Action Network prints
Sometimes, sports transcend the games they revolve around in watershed cultural moments. A beautiful collection of artwork from the Creative Action Network and Bleacher Report celebrates this legacy. Price: From €20 on creativeaction.network.
4. NFL Monopoly Game
American sports continue to grow on this side of the Atlantic, and none more so than NFL. Monopoly make special edition versions of the classic board game like Sponge Bob, The Simpsons and Seinfeld. Now you can buy and sell your favourite gridiron stars too. Price: From €80 on Amazon.com.
5. Heritage Hurleys
Heritage Hurleys are based in Westmeath Ireland and make Handcrafted Irish Ash Hurling gifts and souvenirs, personalized with images and text giving an engraved effect finish. Family crests and names are among the things you can get on the ash, as well as this year’s special 1916 Rising pieces and Christas decorations. Price: From €32 at heritagehurleys.com.
6. MyGolfDeals.ie
If you’re a keen golfer who likes to experience as many of the fantastic golf courses around the island of Ireland as you can then this website is a god-send. This website allows you to buy reduced rate green fee packages to use any time over the next number of months. An example at the time of writing is a package of two green fees (including a breakfast bap and tea or coffee) for Palmerstown Stud Golf Club at a price of just €49.
7. Ticket Stub Diary
Never forget that afternoon on the Hill when you got soaked to the skin but saw the Dubs win the All-Ireland, the Leinster match where you shed a tear as Brian O’Driscoll bid farewell or the Ireland game when you saw Robbie Keane take the goal-scoring. This diary lets you keep all your old tickets in the one place in a tidy, hardcover and even has a margin to allow you to add memories alongside the stubs. Price: €8 from Amazon.com.
8. The man who saved Barcelona: The remarkable life of Patrick O’Connell
If you have never heard the story of the man who captained Manchester United before going on to manage Barcelona, while saving the club from extinction along the way, then you need to read this book. Written by the wife of O’Connell’s grandson Mike, it tells the story of the Dubliner’s journey through the highest echelons of football before his destitute death in London. Price: €24 from easons.
9. The Captain Myth
In a year where Ryder Cup fever gripped the golf world, Richard Gillis’ look at what impact the two captains have on their respective teams during the biennial clash between Europe and the USA is particularly timely. Using exclusive interviews and saturation reporting, Gillis shows how strategy has evolved since the very first match in 1927, exploring the enduring and often surprising role played by some of the game’s greatest stars. Price: €20 from Bloomsbury.
10. Asics arm warmers
For those who run outdoors these are perfect for chilly fall days that don’t quite merit an entire extra layer. Plus, if you decide you’re too hot, they’re much easier to take off and hold on to than a full-fledged running jacket. Price: €20 on Amazon.com.
11. MyGolfPro.ie
Perhaps you’ve recently taken up the game of golf and need to bed in some basics or perhaps you’ve taken your club championships by a storm this year and feel you need a few tweaks to kick on to the next level next season. Either way a gift voucher for some of Ireland’s top PGA teaching professionals is exactly what you need. And that is exactly what mygolfpro.ie provide. Vouchers purchased on their website can be used for lessons for players of all levels, ensuring the best possible golf lesson experience. The vouchers can also be redeemed in the participating golf pro’s shops.
Price: Beginning at €50 on mygolfpro.ie
