A Golden Era captures the history, geography, social climate, family fortunes, politics and personal stories of a largely undocumented group of Irish sports stars - Irish Masters athletes. Subjects range from thirty-five to ninety years of age and hail from all thirty-two counties. Some are household names from another era, others only known to their family, friends and the athletic community. Their stories educate, inform and entertain. Distances raced range from sixty metres to marathon to ultra-distances. The full spectrum of athletic events is covered as well - jumps, throws, walks and hurdles. World record holders at Masters level are represented as are former Olympians who have continued to compete into their Master years. The athletic world is replete with great characters. Their stories, personalities, philosophies and training methods shine through these pages. Some pieces have been written by the subjects themselves, others by family, friends or professional writers. The best years of our lives are lived actively: the characters in this book are living proof of this, and their stories are inspirational.