What was said between Christy Ring and Mick Mackey? A new book details the lives of hurling’s heroes

It starts with a photograph, old and famous and somehow still contested ground, even now. The year is 1957; the venue is the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. The protagonists are two of the gods.

Christy Ring is to the fore, his right wrist in a sling, his left hand gripping his hurley. His head is turned back over his shoulder, and if you had to guess, you’d reckon he was in temper. The eyes are narrowed just that little bit, the jaw rigid, the nostril ever-so slightly flared. He’s walking away but he ain’t stepping back.