The Grass Ceiling

On Being a Woman in Sport

Penguin Sandycove (2023)

Winner: Sports Book of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards

Reviews: Irish Examiner | Irish Times | What’s the Story?

Interviews: The42.ie | Irish Examiner | Irish Independent | RTE’s The Ray D’Arcy Show | Second Captains | Today FM’s The Last Word

‘It would be wrong to define this simply as a book about a woman’s experience in sport. The themes are universal for anyone who has ever kicked a point, pucked a ball or stepped into the sporting arena. It burns with a passion that we rarely see women given the opportunity to write about’ KATHLEEN McNAMEE

‘Part David Foster Wallace, part Olivia Laing, part Ian Maleney. A wonderful book for women and girls, but absolutely necessary for men and boys’ TADHG COAKLEY

‘Brilliant . . . Ryan’s bold and deep search into so many of those internalized questions provides a fascinating collage of emotional detail’ CHRISTY O’CONNOR