Lansdowne Road has long been renowned as a sacred place for international rugby and soccer. In this affectionate history, the authors lift the lid on its greatest days and nights.

From the birth of the stadium in 1873 till it closed for rebuilding in 2006, they bring to life fascinating stories such as that of the Native American lacrosse team, the brilliant athletic stars of the 1940s and 1950s, and the American Football experiment.

The triple crowns, stirring victories and memorable goals and tries that brought the crowd worldwide fame as ‘The Lansdowne Roar’ are all here, as well as the moments of comedy and tragedy that marked the life of Ireland’s oldest stadium.

Prizes

Short-listed for William Hill Irish Sports Book of the Year 2010 (Ireland),Short-listed for Irish Book Awards: Sport category 2010 (Ireland)

'all the comedy and tragedy of generations of handed-down stories are in this book'

'a fond look back at the life that once pulsed through the stadium ... heaves with stories and trivia'

'an engaging look at the history of the beloved sports ground'

Siggins and Clerkin 'punctuate the tale of the most traditional rugby arena with a host of intriguing gems'

'eclectic ... remarkable'

'surely the outstanding sports book of the year

'lavishly illustrated ... coupled with some very fine writing'

'history of Lansdowne Road vividly captured'

'sports fans are sure to find plenty to entertain them in Lansdowne Road, the marvellous history of the stadium by Ger Siggins and Malachy Clerkin'

'a sports fan's delight'

'the Siggins-Clerkin book is a comprehensive and well-written account of the history of Lansdowne Road'

'excellently researched and highly entertaining’ '

'affectionate history'

'excellent'

'pleasantly offbeat and immensely informative'

'superb ... fascinating'

'A fascinating collection of stories focusing on the finest moments that occurred in the Stadium that sold its soul to an insurance company. Even the biggest rugby or soccer anorak will find something new here.'

Malachy Clerkin is the chief sportswriter of the Sunday Tribune where he has worked since winning a sportswriting competition organised and overseen by his co-author Gerard Siggins in 1999. He has been assured by his co-author that there was more than one entrant, but has yet to see documentary proof that this was the case. He has covered every conceivable sporting event for the Tribune, from Olympic Games to World Cups in soccer and rugby. Gerard Siggins was born in Dublin in 1962. Initially a sports journalist, he worked for many years in the Sunday Tribune, where he became assistant editor. He has written several books about cricket and rugby. His Rugby Spirit series has sold over 65,000 copies and is hugely popular with sports-loving children around the world. Gerard regularly visits schools to talk about his books.