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The Grass Ceiling: On Being a Woman in Sport
'A book which will very soon be acknowledged as a classic of Irish sportswriting' Ciarán Murphy
What is it like to be female in a male-dominated sporting world? If you play with the boys, more people pay attention - but you get treated like an alien. Playing with other girls or women means you have to accept smaller audiences, diminished status and - for professionals - lower pay.
And what if, as is the case for camogie player Eimear Ryan, your sport has a completely different name when women play it? What if you don't feel entirely comfortable in an all-female sporting environment because you're shy, bookish, not really one of the girls?
In The Grass Ceiling, acclaimed novelist Eimear Ryan digs deep into the confluence of gender and sport, and all the questions it throws up about identity, status, competition and self-expression. At a time when women's sport is on the rise but still a long way from equality, it is a sharp, nuanced and heartfelt exploration of questions that affect everyone who loves sport.
Praise for The Grass Ceiling
'A gorgeous memoir about a life lived in sport, specifically a female, Irish rural life. I read it in two sittings.' Malachy Clerkin, Irish Times
'A love letter to the GAA and a diatribe against the idea sport is not for women' Kathleen McNamee, Irish Times
'Brilliant ... Ryan's bold and deep search into so many of those internalised questions provides a fascinating collage of emotional detail' Christy O'Connor, Irish Examiner
'Lyrical, urgent, wise and bracing' Irish Times
What is it like to be female in a male-dominated sporting world? If you play with the boys, more people pay attention - but you get treated like an alien. Playing with other girls or women means you have to accept smaller audiences, diminished status and - for professionals - lower pay.
And what if, as is the case for camogie player Eimear Ryan, your sport has a completely different name when women play it? What if you don't feel entirely comfortable in an all-female sporting environment because you're shy, bookish, not really one of the girls?
In The Grass Ceiling, acclaimed novelist Eimear Ryan digs deep into the confluence of gender and sport, and all the questions it throws up about identity, status, competition and self-expression. At a time when women's sport is on the rise but still a long way from equality, it is a sharp, nuanced and heartfelt exploration of questions that affect everyone who loves sport.
Praise for The Grass Ceiling
'A gorgeous memoir about a life lived in sport, specifically a female, Irish rural life. I read it in two sittings.' Malachy Clerkin, Irish Times
'A love letter to the GAA and a diatribe against the idea sport is not for women' Kathleen McNamee, Irish Times
'Brilliant ... Ryan's bold and deep search into so many of those internalised questions provides a fascinating collage of emotional detail' Christy O'Connor, Irish Examiner
'Lyrical, urgent, wise and bracing' Irish Times
193 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 4, 2023
19 people are currently reading
278 people want to read
About the author
Eimear Ryan
9 books95 followersEimear Ryan is the author of a novel, Holding Her Breath (2021) and a sports memoir, The Grass Ceiling (2023), both published by Sandycove.
Her short fiction has appeared in Granta, The Dublin Review, The Stinging Fly, The Long Gaze Back (New Island) and Town & Country (Faber). She is a co-founder of the literary journal Banshee and its publishing imprint, Banshee Press.
She is a sports columnist with the Irish Examiner and has written about women in sport for Literary Hub, The 42, Image, Stranger’s Guide, Winter Papers and elsewhere. She lives in Cork city.
Her short fiction has appeared in Granta, The Dublin Review, The Stinging Fly, The Long Gaze Back (New Island) and Town & Country (Faber). She is a co-founder of the literary journal Banshee and its publishing imprint, Banshee Press.
She is a sports columnist with the Irish Examiner and has written about women in sport for Literary Hub, The 42, Image, Stranger’s Guide, Winter Papers and elsewhere. She lives in Cork city.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 8, 2023
I thought this memoir accurately described the feelings that come from loving a part of our culture that has excluded us for so long. Being a woman in the GAA has always been a struggle and although progress has been made the last while to make the game more inclusive there's still a long way to go. Any woman in sport can connect with Eimears experiences in this book and I think it shines a spotlight on the parts of sporting culture that we like to ignore whilst still expressing a deep love and admiration for it.
March 9, 2024
I really enjoyed this Irish memoir that focuses on what it's like to be a woman in sport - particulary the Irish sport of hurling (which is called camogie when a woman plays it). Eimear Ryan was practically born with a hurley in her hand, and from a young age was on the field dreaming of the day she'd win a camogie championship.
I thought Eimear's voice was lovely and I really fell into her story of her childhood years and how easy everything seems until you grow up and find out the obstacles in your way - not just being a woman in sport and the unfair differences between how sportsmen and sportswomen are treated (in the GAA specifically) but also experiences everyone can identify with - growing up, feeling insecure withing yourself as a teen and how experiences in school can end up affecting how you associate with the rest of the world for a long time.
I also enjoyed Eimear open up about the times she was disillusioned with the sport or took a step back from it for a time before deciding to rejoin a team, or just picking her hurl up again for a puck around. While not a camogie player, I have had moments in my own life where I've stopped or taken breaks from the sports or hobbies that I love and I know how hard these decisions can be at times.
I think this a great book for those who are GAA mad but also people who just want to read an interesting, and lovely memoir about one woman's experience with sport. I really enjoyed it.
I thought Eimear's voice was lovely and I really fell into her story of her childhood years and how easy everything seems until you grow up and find out the obstacles in your way - not just being a woman in sport and the unfair differences between how sportsmen and sportswomen are treated (in the GAA specifically) but also experiences everyone can identify with - growing up, feeling insecure withing yourself as a teen and how experiences in school can end up affecting how you associate with the rest of the world for a long time.
I also enjoyed Eimear open up about the times she was disillusioned with the sport or took a step back from it for a time before deciding to rejoin a team, or just picking her hurl up again for a puck around. While not a camogie player, I have had moments in my own life where I've stopped or taken breaks from the sports or hobbies that I love and I know how hard these decisions can be at times.
I think this a great book for those who are GAA mad but also people who just want to read an interesting, and lovely memoir about one woman's experience with sport. I really enjoyed it.
May 15, 2024
"When a great character exits, we're left with the props"
May 17, 2024
In The Grass Ceiling, acclaimed novelist Eimear Ryan digs deep into the confluence between gender and sport, and all the questions it throws up about identity, status, competition and self-expression. At a time when women's sport is on the rise but still a long way from equality, it is a sharp, nuanced and heartfelt exploration of questions that affect every girl - and boy - who sets out to participate in sport.
What is it like to be a girl, or a woman, in a male-dominated sporting world? If you play on the boys' team, more people pay attention - but you get treated like an alien. When you switch to playing with girls and women, you have to live with a smaller audience, diminished status, and - if you're a professional - lower pay.
And what if - as is the case for camogie player Eimear Ryan - the sport that you play has a different name for women than it does for men, despite identical rules? And what if you don't even feel entirely comfortable in an all-female sporting environment because you're shy, bookish, not really one of the girls?
The Grass Ceiling: On Being a Woman in Sport by Eimear Ryan is a must-read for anyone who has ever felt the thrill of competition, the sting of inequality, or the struggle to find their place in a male-dominated world, particularly those who have a passion for sports, Irish culture, and self-discovery.
I'm not a sports fanatic, and I don't play GAA, nor have I ever, and I have my.... opinions of the GAA, but Eimear Ryan makes this book so approachable, understandable and relatable to everyone, it still solidified by distaste for the GAA in many ways, but it also made me really proud to be Irish in others. Ryan has this fantastic way of describing her life story, and her on again, off again relationship with camogie. Her book opened my eyes to many things I didn't realise about the sport and about people's relationships with the sport and their identity. It made me frustrated to be a woman and once again, always be discriminated against compared to the lads, but I'm glad to see that improvements are being made, slowly but surely.
I would highly recommend this book to all Irish people, all sports fans, woman and anyone who likes a good memoir. We read this book as part of our Dubray Book Club and Eimear Ryan herself was in attendance. She is such a lovely, sweet person, exactly how she is in the book, and she was so lovely and pleasant to talk to.
What is it like to be a girl, or a woman, in a male-dominated sporting world? If you play on the boys' team, more people pay attention - but you get treated like an alien. When you switch to playing with girls and women, you have to live with a smaller audience, diminished status, and - if you're a professional - lower pay.
And what if - as is the case for camogie player Eimear Ryan - the sport that you play has a different name for women than it does for men, despite identical rules? And what if you don't even feel entirely comfortable in an all-female sporting environment because you're shy, bookish, not really one of the girls?
The Grass Ceiling: On Being a Woman in Sport by Eimear Ryan is a must-read for anyone who has ever felt the thrill of competition, the sting of inequality, or the struggle to find their place in a male-dominated world, particularly those who have a passion for sports, Irish culture, and self-discovery.
I'm not a sports fanatic, and I don't play GAA, nor have I ever, and I have my.... opinions of the GAA, but Eimear Ryan makes this book so approachable, understandable and relatable to everyone, it still solidified by distaste for the GAA in many ways, but it also made me really proud to be Irish in others. Ryan has this fantastic way of describing her life story, and her on again, off again relationship with camogie. Her book opened my eyes to many things I didn't realise about the sport and about people's relationships with the sport and their identity. It made me frustrated to be a woman and once again, always be discriminated against compared to the lads, but I'm glad to see that improvements are being made, slowly but surely.
I would highly recommend this book to all Irish people, all sports fans, woman and anyone who likes a good memoir. We read this book as part of our Dubray Book Club and Eimear Ryan herself was in attendance. She is such a lovely, sweet person, exactly how she is in the book, and she was so lovely and pleasant to talk to.
February 8, 2024
Very insightful book on what it's like being a female athlete and the major gender inequalities within the GAA
June 9, 2025
Important read
April 13, 2024
Very interesting read about the challenges facing women in sport, particularly the last couple of chapters
August 27, 2023
There's no shortage of books about sport, writing about it from just about every conceivable angle. What marks this book out is not only its discussions of sport from the perspective of a woman playing it, but also provides the perspective of someone who persists playing after others might have expected them to pack it in due to injury, changes in lifestage etc. This book manages to avoid the clichés of sports writing and is an especially welcome addition to writing about sport in Ireland.
June 4, 2025
A completely different sport to football, and yet I feel so seen.
I knew a bit about Gaelic sports from my schoolteachers, but I hadn’t thought much about them since then. Honestly, I can’t even remember how the hell I found this book, but I don’t regret it one bit. It felt refreshingly genuine compared to all the sports memoirs I usually read.
I knew a bit about Gaelic sports from my schoolteachers, but I hadn’t thought much about them since then. Honestly, I can’t even remember how the hell I found this book, but I don’t regret it one bit. It felt refreshingly genuine compared to all the sports memoirs I usually read.
July 30, 2024
For anyone involved in the GAA this is a really well written book that is thought provoking and insightful.
Couple of things to touch on - Eimear's experience of playing on mixed teams and girls and boys competing against each other at u12 and u14 - the gaelic games has become a very silo'ed sport, girls and boys are on different teams from when they start at academy, 5 years old or whatever. There is no overlap on the sporting field. This never really made sense to me. I think in Eimear's case, it had to be mixed as there were no girls teams in the local club anyway - but nonetheless she definitely seemed to enjoy it and benefit from it.
I thought her mini-treatise on the 'gaelic games hero' in chapter 2 was good; 'a gaelic games hero is crowdsourced, raised and built by the village. Everyone in the community feels a connection to that person.' - she is absolutely spot on there; but it does highlight what is a bit of a problem underage sport in that there is too much attention on the stronger kids while weaker kids get relatively overlooked. They are not as well catered for, and certainly not celebrated. I wouldnt point the finger at the GAA for this, as there are a variety of factors, especially lack of parental interest, but for me a gaelic games hero is someone who takes a team of under 8s that are absolutely no good at the game and coaches them up to under 16 or minor, and gives up huge amounts of time to do so that they can have a social outlet, and get out in the fresh air and get exercise.
One piece I felt a bit uncomfortable with later in the book was how she played through serious injury - I think this is common enough in gaa. Its an amateur game and there should be a bit more of a mature discussion around the long term impacts of knee injuries etc and not just at the elite level where Eimear was.
A very interesting point is that GAA clubs can have a better sense of community in urban centres than in rural, basically because players live locally and near each other. I'd say this is 100% true but also is very much against the normal narrative.
Overall, this is a book by someone who writes well, and who has thought deeply about GAA and its place in our society, and is willing to speak honestly about how it made her feel.
Couple of things to touch on - Eimear's experience of playing on mixed teams and girls and boys competing against each other at u12 and u14 - the gaelic games has become a very silo'ed sport, girls and boys are on different teams from when they start at academy, 5 years old or whatever. There is no overlap on the sporting field. This never really made sense to me. I think in Eimear's case, it had to be mixed as there were no girls teams in the local club anyway - but nonetheless she definitely seemed to enjoy it and benefit from it.
I thought her mini-treatise on the 'gaelic games hero' in chapter 2 was good; 'a gaelic games hero is crowdsourced, raised and built by the village. Everyone in the community feels a connection to that person.' - she is absolutely spot on there; but it does highlight what is a bit of a problem underage sport in that there is too much attention on the stronger kids while weaker kids get relatively overlooked. They are not as well catered for, and certainly not celebrated. I wouldnt point the finger at the GAA for this, as there are a variety of factors, especially lack of parental interest, but for me a gaelic games hero is someone who takes a team of under 8s that are absolutely no good at the game and coaches them up to under 16 or minor, and gives up huge amounts of time to do so that they can have a social outlet, and get out in the fresh air and get exercise.
One piece I felt a bit uncomfortable with later in the book was how she played through serious injury - I think this is common enough in gaa. Its an amateur game and there should be a bit more of a mature discussion around the long term impacts of knee injuries etc and not just at the elite level where Eimear was.
A very interesting point is that GAA clubs can have a better sense of community in urban centres than in rural, basically because players live locally and near each other. I'd say this is 100% true but also is very much against the normal narrative.
Overall, this is a book by someone who writes well, and who has thought deeply about GAA and its place in our society, and is willing to speak honestly about how it made her feel.
January 14, 2024
I’d been meaning to read this book since before Christmas and I finally picked it up Friday night and found it so readable that I finished it Saturday night.
The Grass Ceiling is a non-fiction book by Eimear Ryan who grew up in the very same community as me. It tells about her experiences growing up in our traditional rural community on the North Tipperary/Offaly border where the GAA plays a vital role in the life force of the parish.
Eimear talks about her early life and influences. How hurling was part of her family’s DNA. How she was practically born with a hurley in her hand. How she knew from just four years of age that she wanted to hurl senior for her club and county. And how she would come to the realisation that it wouldn’t be hurling that she would eventually thrive at but Camogie.
Hurling is considered a “man’s game”. And originally the GAA was created for just boys and men. Camogie and Ladies football came later as a means for girls and women to play the same sports. Yet names, rules and some values were changed. It never really made sense. She was able to hurl, good at hurling and wanted to hurl. So why not?!
Eimear talks openly about her experiences growing up, sometimes facing adversity, sometimes success and I appreciated the passages about how hurling can be a frustrating experience for some. It isn’t always a fairytale. Sometimes you may be sidelined. Perhaps through injury. Or perhaps the manager simply doesn’t rate you. Maybe you just aren’t good enough. So what do you do? Sit and wait it out. Or quit and move on with your life.
This book however is not just about GAA. It’s about life in general. And how we sometimes struggle to find where we fit in. There is a big wider world out there than the one we grow up in. And sometimes it’s not until you step outside your comfort zone that you see yourself for the person you truly are. And the person you want to be.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
May 13, 2024
I bought this book as I really liked the title and the premise of the book, without realising that she was from the same tiny village my dad is from. Whilst my dad is from Offaly, she is a proud Tipp woman.
The central theme of this book is the systemic sexism, injustice and inequality she faces as a female in sport, but it’s much more than that. Like the in between place, border town she’s from, she was in that place personally and emotionally as she struggled with her identity. As the grand-daughter of GAA president Séamus Ó Riain, there definitely was GAA in her blood. Growing up, in her small club to make up numbers she played on the boys hurling team. This was when she felt equal with her male counterparts and was young and naive to believe her future would be no different, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case.
She also discusses the pull and sacrifice of the club. She was studying in DCU, but went home midweek and weekends to train and play matches. How she continued this when she moved to Cork and the inner struggle she faced when she finally decided to switch clubs as the travel got too much for her and she didn’t want to be another statistic giving up on the sport she loved due to mere logistics and her own pride.
Loved this book, gobbled it up in two days.
The central theme of this book is the systemic sexism, injustice and inequality she faces as a female in sport, but it’s much more than that. Like the in between place, border town she’s from, she was in that place personally and emotionally as she struggled with her identity. As the grand-daughter of GAA president Séamus Ó Riain, there definitely was GAA in her blood. Growing up, in her small club to make up numbers she played on the boys hurling team. This was when she felt equal with her male counterparts and was young and naive to believe her future would be no different, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case.
She also discusses the pull and sacrifice of the club. She was studying in DCU, but went home midweek and weekends to train and play matches. How she continued this when she moved to Cork and the inner struggle she faced when she finally decided to switch clubs as the travel got too much for her and she didn’t want to be another statistic giving up on the sport she loved due to mere logistics and her own pride.
Loved this book, gobbled it up in two days.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2025
I knew absolutely nothing about Camogie before this book, and I am still not 100% sure I fully understand the sport, but the concept of this memoir really appealed. Eimear Ryan is a Camogie player - or Hurling for women - and speaks candidly first and foremost about her journey in life through sport, and touching on what it means to be a woman in sport.
I found this book very engaging, and a perfect balance of memoir and statement making. It is true that women's sports generally have lower audiences and are considered to be lower "quality". Eimear touches on all of this and the sacrifices made, and beautifully discusses why it is that women's sports don't receive quite the same acclaim, why women will watch men but men won't watch women, resulting in possibly my favourite quote from the book.
Playing against other women simply for the savage joy of physical competition has nothing to do with men, and that is one reason why there are men out there who are deeply suspicious of women's sport
I found this book very engaging, and a perfect balance of memoir and statement making. It is true that women's sports generally have lower audiences and are considered to be lower "quality". Eimear touches on all of this and the sacrifices made, and beautifully discusses why it is that women's sports don't receive quite the same acclaim, why women will watch men but men won't watch women, resulting in possibly my favourite quote from the book.
Playing against other women simply for the savage joy of physical competition has nothing to do with men, and that is one reason why there are men out there who are deeply suspicious of women's sport
June 17, 2023
Wasn’t sure I would like this one - GAA really isn’t my thing, but when I started to think about it a lot of the insights in this book rang very true. I was a very sporty kid, into anything that involved being outside but never into GAA. my brother was for a bit, and my extended family are - but I could never see myself in it. It was always just for boys. Shame really. Still, sounds like there may be some movement in the right direction so let’s see. Either way, I really enjoyed this book. She’s a lovely writer and I couldn’t put it down- I was impatient to get back to reading it everyday.
October 16, 2023
The Grass Ceiling: On Being a Woman in Sport by Eimear Ryan is a powerful and moving memoir about growing up as a female athlete in Ireland. Ryan is a gifted writer, and her memoir is both honest and inspiring. The book is also a valuable resource for anyone interested in learning more about the history and challenges of women's sport.
December 27, 2023
Devoured it.
I liked it because it's not a hero's tale. She writes about the slog and the glory. The inequality is laid bare, almost factually. That's why it resonated with me. Similar vibe to Notes to Self by Emily Pine.
I liked it because it's not a hero's tale. She writes about the slog and the glory. The inequality is laid bare, almost factually. That's why it resonated with me. Similar vibe to Notes to Self by Emily Pine.
March 24, 2024
Excellent account of women in sport and the challenges they face that nobody even sees. Loved reading this well written book especially all the parts about Moneygall and Tipperary camogie and hurling.
April 27, 2024
A fascinating and personal history of Eimear Ryan's career in Camogie, together with her thoughts on gender inequality in sport, and why she and so many others love it anyway. An excellent read for any sports fan, and indeed, anyone else too!
May 15, 2024
interesting memoir of young camogie player and exploration of the specific challenges of a women's sport versus the male equivalent, the organisations that administer each game and the personal experience of a player
June 11, 2024
Some piecing insight and exceptional writing, but for me too many pages did nothing and I often felt like I was going through the motions. At its best, such as chapter 12, this book is fantastic full of unique thought and beautiful prose, but this just wasn’t often enough for me
October 14, 2023
In defence of the skort...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2024
A great insight into being a woman involved in any aspect of GAA, Camogie, or LGFA especially in rural areas!
May 5, 2024
Had some really interesting nuggets but overall I found it quite disjointed.
July 15, 2024
Thoroughly enjoyed this sports memoir! Anyone with a history in the GAA, an interest in Irish culture or simply a want to discover a unique sporting world will adore this.
September 30, 2024
Short book but I struggled to get into it. Maybe it’s cause I’m not Irish so I couldn’t understand a lot of the draw to the sport. Well written and I liked the end
October 16, 2024
Absolutely brilliant!! So relatable as a camogie player and written so so well. I found the chapter ‘Hurl like a Woman’ truly remarkable!! A must read.
December 19, 2024
Most athlete’s memoirs describe dazzling careers with fizzling writing. To read the inverse is a delight
August 28, 2023
The Grass Ceiling is Eimear Ryan's memoir of her life playing gaelic games, specifically hurling and camogie, starting with being a child and up to present day. She explores what GAA means for her family, her community and her culture. She writes as a player and a fan.
I thought there would be more in this about women in sport in general and while that does get touched upon briefly, this is more Eimear's own story. Through her story, she sheds lights on what it is like to be a woman playing these gaelic games, someone who loves the sports down to the fibre of the DNA but how women often get sidelined in favour of the men. Camogie is not part of GAA, it has close ties to it but is part of the Camogie Association (similar, women's gaelic football is under Ladies Gaelic Football Association).
I enjoyed learning more about Eimear's life and through that, what it's like to be a woman playing gaelic games. It's a great addition to other similar books that explore women in sport (like Eat Sweat Play by Anna Kessel), I loved how it brings an Irish angle to this topic. If you don't know much about gaelic games but want to explore more about women in sport, then I would recommend this. If you love gaelic games, I think you will appreciate hearing Eimear's story of her life committed to the sport.
I thought there would be more in this about women in sport in general and while that does get touched upon briefly, this is more Eimear's own story. Through her story, she sheds lights on what it is like to be a woman playing these gaelic games, someone who loves the sports down to the fibre of the DNA but how women often get sidelined in favour of the men. Camogie is not part of GAA, it has close ties to it but is part of the Camogie Association (similar, women's gaelic football is under Ladies Gaelic Football Association).
I enjoyed learning more about Eimear's life and through that, what it's like to be a woman playing gaelic games. It's a great addition to other similar books that explore women in sport (like Eat Sweat Play by Anna Kessel), I loved how it brings an Irish angle to this topic. If you don't know much about gaelic games but want to explore more about women in sport, then I would recommend this. If you love gaelic games, I think you will appreciate hearing Eimear's story of her life committed to the sport.
December 20, 2023
As someone who grew up in a town obsessed with hurling, this was a very interesting read. Ryan's passion and love for the sport is plain in every page. Would recommend even if you never were into camogie or the GAA before!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews