Culch.ie

Broken Spine #15 – Complete with Book Giveaway

*** Competition Closed ***

This week’s Broken Spine has a give away of an entertaining new Irish autobiography, from someone other than a GAA hero or former politician.

Ronan Smith – Lord of the Rams

Lord of the Rams is the autobiography/ memoir / autohagiography of a Munterconnaught, Co. Cavan native named Ronan Smith. He’s known to his mates as a variety of names: “Rambo”, “Rams”, “the Rams”, and sometimes, but very rarely, Ronan. Note: he’s not to be confused with me. I don’t have the bizarre habit of referring to myself in the third person, like Bob Dole, The Rock, or the all-time champion illeist Rickey Henderson.

Smith (I’m not going to call him “the Rams”, as he does throughout his book) was born in 1978, and the book concerns his life and times as a County Cavan tearaway. His school days were a series of tall tales, particularly the torture himself and his schoolmates caused for their teachers, parents, priest, pets, and well, everyone really.

In fact, the book itself is just one tall tale after another, something which never really ingratiates the author/narrator/”the Rams” to the reader. The Rams character seems to have no flaws at all, and if he could have admitted to certain failings, Smith’s memoir would have been much more believable, and as a result, more entertaining.

That said, people of a certain age (mid- to late-twenties) will find his rural tales enchanting, and will remimisce about the good old days, such as when Houghton scored that wonderful lob over Pagliuca in World Cup 94. Parts of the book are quite funny, and it contains a whole host of wonderful supporting characters.

Competition

We’re offering three lucky winners the chance to get their mitts on a copy of the book. All you have to do to win a copy is tell us what any of Smith’s other achievements are. You can find a bio of him on the website for the book: http://www.lordoftherams.com/

Leave your answer(s) in the comments section below. We’ll contact the 3 winners via email and send them out a copy of the book. Good luck.

Oh and remember this…?