Richie Hogan is one of the all-time greats of hurling, winner of seven All-Ireland senior hurling medals and multiple individual awards. His epic career brought him both immense joy and incredible heartache.

This success did not come about by accident: Richie’s complete focus on hurling success meant every decision he made revolved around hurling, from education to career to lifestyle choices. He grew up with Kilkenny hurling in his blood and from a very young age worked towards goals rather than dreams. Hyper-focused and determined, there wasn’t a day in his life where he didn’t think about what he needed to do to get to the highest level of the sport he loved and what he needed to do to stay up there.

Now, in Whatever it Takes, Richie tells the story of his dazzling career, from his obsession with maintaining high standards in the Kilkenny team, to the stand-out moments on the pitch and the challenges he encountered along the way that threatened to derail everything. This frank and forthright account takes us inside one of the greatest hurling teams of all time as never before.

Richie Hogan is a former Kilkenny hurling player and a member of the GPA and the GAA. He was awarded the first-ever Trinity Business School GPA Scholarship.  

Fintan O Toole is the News Editor of The42.ie. He has previously been a sports journalist with the Irish Examiner and has worked on sports memoirs with David and John Meyler.