LITMIR.BIZ

      Acknowledgements

      The idea of this book came about through conversations with Professor Mike Cronin, Academic Director of Boston College whilst researching for my PhD. As a PhD supervisor, Mike was always available and willing to help. He constantly offered new avenues and ideas that aided me immeasurably in looking at the partition of Ireland in very different ways. Professor Martin Polley, Director of the International Centre for Sports History and Culture at De Montfort University in Leicester, also offered great assistance and advice throughout my research for my PhD and this book.

      I would like to thank Gráinne Daly, Loughlin Deegan and Tara Doyle for taking the time to meticulously read through the original draft and suggesting many much-needed changes. I bear full responsibility and culpability for any mistakes in the final version. I would also like to thank Hilary Delahunty, Claire Egan, Paul Flanagan, Tom Hunt, Bernard Kelly, Donald McDonald, Frank Mulcahy, Mary Muldowney and Brian Murphy for reading the first draft and making many suggestions which I have incorporated into the book. I would like to thank Oliver P. Rafferty, S.J. for sharing his research with me on the Catholic Church and Dónal McAnallen for sharing his research on the GAA.

      I am indebted to the staff members of the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, the National Library of Ireland, the University College Dublin Archives, the Dublin City Library and Archive, the National Archives of Ireland and the UK National Archives for all of their help on the many visits I made whilst researching this book.

      I wish to thank Berni Metcalfe from the National Library of Ireland, Breeda Brennan from the RTÉ Stills Library, Enda Leaney from the Dublin City Library and Archive, Patricia Marsh from the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland, Luci Gosling from the Mary Evans Picture Library, Samantha McCombe from the Linen Hall Library, Hugh Forrester from the Police Museum of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Lisa Olrichs from the National Portrait Gallery and Louis Jeffries from British Pathé for their help in sourcing images for the book.

      I am very grateful for the help I have received from all of the staff of Merrion Press throughout the publishing process, particularly of the support and assistance from Conor Graham and Fiona Dunne.

      I would like to thank all of my family and friends for their encouragement and help throughout the process. To Brigid, my wife, I am thankful for your love and support and for putting up with me for all of the time I spent obsessing over this book. Finally, this book is dedicated to my late mother, Anne Moore, who sadly passed away last year and who I miss deeply.