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Taking the clothes they wore as a starting point, Paul Galvin skilfully weaves together a collection of stories of Irishmen who defined the culture and mood of their time.

In Push, he tells the story of the legendary Walker Brothers – cyclists and soldiers who pedalled through a storm for Ireland at the 1912 Stockholm Games and subsequently served as rebel bike couriers during the 1916 Rising. In Born Mad, discover another side to Samuel Beckett – sartor and prolific sportsman who had knockout power as a champion school’s boxer. In Boland, we learn about Harry Boland’s background as a trained tailor, and in Jack, we encounter Jack B. Yeats at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris.

These are just some of men who have inspired Paul’s own fashion collections and whom he writes about here in a fascinating collection that shines a light on how history is woven into the clothes Irishmen wear.

Threads