Lifestyle & Sports
05 Jan 21

Champagne Football is officially the biggest-selling Irish-published book of 2020

<em>Champagne Football</em> is officially the biggest-selling Irish-published book of 2020

Mary McAleese’s memoir 'Here’s The Story', Jeanine Cummins’ novel 'American Dirt', Marian Keyes’ novel 'Grown Ups', Marie Cassidy’s 'Beyond The Tape', Luke O’Neill’s 'Never Mind the B#ll*cks, Here’s the Science', and Barack Obama’s 'A Promised Land' were also included in the Top 20 list.

Champagne Football, Mark Tighe and Paul Rowan’s coverage of John Delaney and the FAI, has been named as the biggest-selling Irish-published book of 2020.

The book followed on from authors Tighe and Rowan’s prolific and gripping reporting in the Sunday Times.

Nielsen ICM data published today for the final week of 2020 showed that Champagne Football sold a hugely impressive 49,307 copies.

Tighe tweeted his shock at the book's win, saying:

"Stunned over this. Bestselling Irish published book in 2020! Held off a late charge from Ireland in Colour. Thanks to everyone who helped us get this story in print. Great to hear from so many readers since. So many have their own jaw-dropping stories that would fill another book!"

Penguin Books Ireland tweeted this evening that they "couldn't be prouder" of the achievement.

We are over the moon that Nielsen ICM data today confirms that Champagne Football, by @marktigheST and @paulrowantree, is Ireland's bestselling Irish-published book of 2020, selling a staggering 49,307 copies. We couldn't be prouder. pic.twitter.com/eYEX102ZlL

— Penguin Books Ireland (@PenguinIEBooks) January 5, 2021

Read the Hot Press October interview between Mark Tighe and Paul Nolan on Champagne Football here.

Charlie Mackesy's The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse (Ebury Press) was Ireland’s overall best-selling book last year, with a total of 67,926 copies sold.

Delia Owens’ Where The Crawdads Sing (Corsair) - was published in 2019 - followed on from Mackesy's offering. The fictional novel gained traction as a result of Reese Witherspoon's book club recommendation and news of an upcoming movie based on the original book, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones.

Old Ireland In Colour by John Breslin and Sarah-Anne Buckley (Merrion Press) and Home Stretch by Graham Norton (Coronet Books) were also in the top five bestsellers.

Sally Rooney’s novel Normal People (Faber & Faber) was just outside the top five after gaining popularity once again when the Lenny Abrahamson-directed television series aired. Rooney wrote the screenplay for the BBC Three/Hulu drama, starring Kildare's Paul Mescal as Connell Waldron.

Read Pat Carty's Hot Press Books of 2020 here.