New book celebrating 140 years of the GAA names three Laois GAA heroes among all-time greats

Laois GAA stalwarts Tommy ‘Boy Wonder’ Murphy (football), Pat Critchley and Harry Gray (hurling) are included among the all-time greats in a new book 'Pulse of the Nation' marking the 140th anniversary of the GAA’s founding in 1884. All three players are named at midfield.

Harry Gray, a native of Rathdowney, began and ended his career with Laois, having played with Dublin in between, contributing handsomely to a very successful spell when they won the 1938 All-Ireland title. He was also back with Laois in 1949 when they won the Leinster title.

Portlaoise's Pat Critchley remains the only Laois hurler to win an All-Star, having been selected in 1985. Graigueculen's Tommy Murphy is ranked the No. 6 midfielder behind Jack O’Shea, Mick O’Connell, Brian Fenton, Brian Mullins and Darragh O Sé.   

'Pulse of the Nation', co-written by award-winning and vastly-experienced GAA journalists, Martin Breheny and Donal Keenan, takes readers on a fascinating journey down through the decades. The first stop-off is to consider who were the top ten players in each position in the GAA’s 140-year history.

Drawing on their long experience of covering Gaelic Games - which stretches back almost half a century -  and merging it with assessments gleaned from the work of journalists, commentators and others before that – they have assembled a one-to-ten ranking in all fifteen positions in football and hurling. All 150 players in football and hurling are individually profiled.  

Opinions will vary sharply on their conclusions, but as an exercise in acknowledging past glories, it offers an opportunity for lively debate among the GAA fraternity as they reflect on the big stars who shone so brightly over the years.

'Pulse of the Nation' also chooses and re-visits the greatest day in every county’s history in hurling and football. For Laois football, it settles on the 2003 Leinster final win over Kildare while the 1949 Leinster final win over Kilkenny tops the hurling achievements.  

In addition to the player and county highlights,' Pulse of the Nation' focuses on the role, impact and demise of the dual player and deals with many of the big issues from GAA history, including controversies, how it coped with major threats and challenges, the evolution of competitions, the emergence of new management culture and the changing sporting and social trends as revealed through debates at annual congress.

Camogie and Ladies football are also catered for in the 400-page, described by GAA President, Jarlath Burns as ‘an invaluable reference point for followers of our games. He also writes in the foreword that 'Pulse of the Nation' is a ‘catch-all, whistle-stop tour down through the decades, connecting young and old alike through the prism of our games.’