Shannon Harps, A Fresh Start

The third book in the story of the Shannon Harps GAA football team.

A Fresh Start is as enjoyable and involving as the previous books.

Joe Duggan, Manager of the Shannon Harps, has found a new pitch for his team of boy and girl players but that is not an end to his troubles. If anything, things get worse as the girls are told that there is no place for them in the Under-14s team because of a GAA rule to that effect. Worse, there is to be no Under-13s team for anyone. What's to be done?

As becomes the story of a Gaelic football team, the story evolves at breakneck speed, and there are many familiar characters including Big Mary, James and Megan. There are also one or two noteworthy new ones such Eric the Viking, whose size causes one official to remark, "He'd pass for an escort on the Rose of Tralee, or what was waiting for Jack, the giant killer, at the top of the beanstalk".

As one expects from Peter Regan, there is always more than surface values in his books. This story, thanks to wonderful descriptive writing, has a fine sense of place and history and a great array of adult characters, especially the ageing storyteller, Paddy Joe Paden.

A Fresh Start by Peter Regan from The Children's Press, Illustrated by Terry Myler at €5.99. Ages 10 to 12.

tony hickey