Bord Gais Energy Sports Books of the Year

‘Sports Book of the Year’ The Sunday Times

‘McGuinness’ story is remarkable.‘ The Irish Independent

'A powerful blend of defiance and vulnerability … memorable and distinctive.’ The Irish Times

Before Jim McGuinness took over as manager of the Donegal senior football team in the summer of 2010, they were in GAA wilderness. When he stepped down just over four years later, the same group of players had won three Ulster championships, the All-Ireland title of 2012 and succeeded in overturning a century-old perception of how Gaelic football should be played. His departure also marked the end of a personal odyssey, which had begun almost three decades earlier and weathered the aftermath of two family tragedies.

A sports classic, Until Victory Always is both an unforgettable account of McGuinness’s years at the helm of the Donegal team and a moving testament to the power of sport to sustain us in our darkest moments.

‘A story about how the rawness of grief could end up inspiring not just a man but a county. The story is good; the prose is better.’ The Sunday Times

‘This compulsively readable, deeply involving book transcends the sports genre by vividly portraying a fiercely passionate, hugely ambitious and utterly uncompromising figure.’ The Sunday Business Post

‘A story of inspiration, dedication and courage.’ The Sunday Independent