William Hill Irish Sports Book of the Year


The William Hill Irish Sports Book of the Year was an annual Irish literary award sponsored by bookmakers William Hill. Established in 2006, it was related to the International William Hill Sports Book of the Year. The award sought to honour sports books produced in Ireland. The award lost its sponsorship after 2011 and has been discontinued.

History

The inaugural winner of the William Hill Irish Sports Book of the Year in 2006 was Irish footballer Paul McGrath whose autobiography Back from the Brink described his football career and his battle with alcoholism. The following year, Irish rugby union player Trevor Brennan won the award with Heart and Soul, in which Brennan is described as an "anti-hero". The 2008 award was presented to Formula One driver Tommy Byrne for Crashed and Byrned, a biography including his brief five-race career with the now-defunct Hong Kong Theodore team.
Hurler Donal Óg Cusack, the first openly gay elite Irish sportsman, was the 2009 recipient of the William Hill Irish Sports Book of the Year with his autobiography Come What May. Writing about the 2009 season of hurling club side St. Joseph's Doora-Barefield, Christy O'Connor won the 2010 award for The Club.
Winning the 2011 Irish Sports Book of the Year award with his biography of tetraplegic former rugby union player Matt Hampson, Paul Kimmage was the first author to win both the Irish and International awards.

List of winners