Do They Play Cricket in Ireland? has a duality to it that if you were to liken it to a cricketer it would be in the mould of Mike Atherton; a great foundation in the history of the game combined with inflections of humour and personal anecdote. As a study of the last 25 years of Irish cricket, the book dovetails with the journey of the author itself, David Townsend. Written in a diary format, even to non-cricket enthusiasts, it is a wonderful travelogue of a sports journalist’s odyssey from the continents of Africa to Asia to taking in matches at Antigua and Australia. Aside from the sporting endeavours and history of the golden age of Irish cricket since the 19th century, Townsend gives us an insight into the minds and lives of the individuals who made it possible. This book is far from a drab re-hashing of old match reports and anecdotes like we’ve seen with a proliferation of sports books in recent years, this work is bursting with character. The progress of Irish cricket to attaining Test status charts the journey from a hardcore amateur enclave of the game in the northern hemisphere to a sleek and professional organisation, which tries to cultivate the best conditions possible for its athletes to compete against larger playing populations and teams with a far more illustrious history in cricket. Townsend’s recall of personalities such as the youthful Ed Joyce and Eoin Morgan, who would both go on to represent England gives a viewpoint that has been somewhat lost in the latter’s narrative since his World Cup heroics a couple of years ago. Though Townsend is at pains to note the fascinating stories of characters such as Niall O’Brien and John Mooney which saw Irish teams beat sides such as Pakistan, England and the West Indies as the Blarney Army announced itself on the international stage. It was very much a story of the sum of its parts and Townsend throws light on each individual on the journey, both on and off the field of play.