My Autobiography

Ronan O'Gara

The colourful and dramatic life story of the record points scorer in Irish rugby history.

Munster's recent story is compelling and O'Gara has been a central figure. With the assistance of Denis Walsh, this is a sweetly struck penalty of a book: revealing and hard-nosed

Perhaps the finest sports book of the year and among the best Irish sports biographies ever written...  a deeply rewarding portrait of a great sportsman

O'Gara is fascinating on both the mental and physical mechanics of the rugby kick... His candour means that he does not avoid discussing the darker aspects of his personal life

Candour is a defining characteristic of O'Gara's and pervades his autobiography... a compelling read

Basically it's the book O'Gara hoped it would be and that's the genius of it. Nothing is off limits, his world is laid bare and people are left to make up their own minds about the subject... He is brutally honest in his observations, is very hard and unforgiving on himself and tells it like it is. It is a hallmark of the man... It's all O'Gara

Smoothly written... open and honest. As a sports autobiography, straight between the posts

Compelling, entertaining and woven together with particular style and grace... O'Gara is up with the greats

He should be commended for his frankness. It certainly defines this tome in contrast to the usual drudgery of rugby autobiographies

Since so many sports efforts in this genre tend to reveal very little, a memoir like O'Gara's, one with real bite and new insight, makes for a markedly refreshing read. The book is laced with fleshy anecdotes. All make for bona fide eyebrow arching, giggle-inducing, page turning stuff

It is to O'Gara's credit that his autobiography remains true to his personality. It is a compellingly candid read... There is a sense of singularity about O'Gara that takes him into places others find uncomfortable... few men walk the walk better than Munster and Ireland's No. 10

This engrossing book sails straight between the posts

Arguably the best Irish book of the year... told with flawless skill

The perfect present for any rugby fan. It shows the goldfish-bowl aspect to life as a modern-day sporting legend and gives an insight into what it's like on the inside looking out

Whether you are a rugby fan or not, this book is likely to please... This honest autobiography will provide an intriguing read for the Christmas period

Ronan O'Gara was born in 1977 in California. He was a star player at Presentation Brothers College, University College Cork and Cork Constitution, and soon became a key member of the Irish national rugby squad. Since making his international debut in 2000, O'Gara has gone on to win more than 90 caps and score more than 900 points for Ireland. He was the leading points scorer in the Six Nations championship in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009, winning three Triple Crowns and one Grand Slam, and won the Heineken Cup with Munster in 2006 and 2008.

Ronan O'Gara is one of the greatest sportsmen Ireland has ever produced. A brilliant kicker both from the hand and at penalty goals, a sublime orchestrator of play from the out-half position he has made his own, and a cool head in the pressure-cooker of club and international rugby, the list of the Cork man's achievements goes on and on. The leading points scorer in Irish rugby history, the Six Nations and the Heineken Cup. The architect of two amazing Munster triumphs in Europe. The man whose last minute drop-goal sensationally won the Grand Slam in 2009, Ireland's first for 61 years. 
 
In his candid, illuminating autobiography, O'Gara tells the story of those many on-field successes and, with brutal honesty, the darker days as well, most notably at the 2007 World Cup. He tells the inside story of Ireland's disappointments in France, and responds to the allegations about his personal life that made front-page news that autumn. Ronan O'Gara: My Autobiography is the unforgettable story of a rugby player at the top of his game, of a life lived to the full, and of a passionate and proud representative of the people of Cork and Ireland.

Compelling... You have to admire the stones it takes to set out his stall. But then, it's entirely in keeping with how he played.

Irish Times, Best Sports Books of the Year

Anyone interested in life coaching or self-awareness will be fascinated by O'Gara's revealing and unabashed self-analysis.

Irish Independent, Best Sports Books of the Year

Adroitly constructed... his reflections on his recently concluded playing career contain enough cordite to remind one of the searing honesty and single-mindedness that drove this individual to perfection. Few escape his wrath.

A rollicking read... he speaks with naked emotion, raw candour, and even that rare commodity in sportsmen, forthrightness.

Revealing... Unguarded is a reflection on a playing career that saw him earn the respect of the rugby world and win almost all the game has to offer. Off the field, the Corkman was known for his phlegmatic pronouncements and this book is marked out by similar straight-talking.

A book that bristles with O'Gara's penchant for calling it as he sees it.

Ronan O'Gara has been at the heart of Munster and Irish rugby for the past fifteen years. Now, as he comes to the end of a glittering playing career, it is time for him to reflect on those many successes and occasional failures with the straight-talking attitude that has become his trademark. Never one to shy away from the truth, the result is Ronan O'Gara: Unguarded. 
 
Packed full of anecdotes and analysis of the teammates O'Gara has been proud to share the shirt with, and of the coaches he has played under - often in controversial circumstances - this is the definitive record of an era when Munster rose to triumph in Europe, and Ireland to win the Grand Slam, before crashing down to earth again. It is simply the must-have rugby book of the year.

Ronan O'Gara

Praise for Ronan O'Gara: Unguarded

Compelling... You have to admire the stones it takes to set out his stall. But then, it's entirely in keeping with how he played.

Anyone interested in life coaching or self-awareness will be fascinated by O'Gara's revealing and unabashed self-analysis.

Adroitly constructed... his reflections on his recently concluded playing career contain enough cordite to remind one of the searing honesty and single-mindedness that drove this individual to perfection. Few escape ...

Compelling... You have to admire the stones it takes to set out his stall. But then, it's entirely in keeping with how he played.

Anyone interested in life coaching or self-awareness will be fascinated by O'Gara's revealing and unabashed self-analysis.

Adroitly constructed... his reflections on his recently concluded playing career contain enough cordite to remind one of the searing honesty and single-mindedness that drove this individual to perfection. Few escape ...

Compelling... You have to admire the stones it takes to set out his stall. But then, it's entirely in keeping with how he played.

Anyone interested in life coaching or self-awareness will be fascinated by O'Gara's revealing and unabashed self-analysis.

Adroitly constructed... his reflections on his recently concluded playing career contain enough cordite to remind one of the searing honesty and single-mindedness that drove this individual to perfection. Few escape ...

Books by Ronan O'Gara

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