VINCENT O’Brien is one of five equestrian figures featured in a new book entitled Irish Sporting Lives,

The book, edited by Turlough O’Riordan and Terry Clavin, also covers personalities from Gaelic games, soccer, rugby, athletics, and boxing, and claims to “encompass serial winners and glorious losers, heroes and villains, role models and rogues, enduring legends and forgotten or overlooked greats.”

Other equestrians featured include John Ryan (1871–1954) of Scarteen House, Co Limerick. He turned what was a private hunt into the most celebrated in Ireland.

Pat Taaffe (1930–1992) is included for his legendary partnership with Arkle, while show jumping star Iris Kellett (1926–2011) and author Nannie Power O’Donoghue (1843–1940) also figure.

The book spans 200 years of history, and represents two decades of work and research.

Irish Sporting Lives is published by the Royal Irish Academy and can be purchased from all good bookshops, and online through the Royal Irish Academy website ria.ie/isl for €19.95, or contact Turlough O’Riordan at 086 8226428.