Shintyhurling a composite sport created to facilitate competitions between shinty and hurling players. It is all the better for being something of a social history too. The foundation of the gaa gaelic athletic association. This is the only onevolume history of irelands most distinctive sport. Hurling combines the skills of baseball, hockey, and lacrosse in one high speed, high scoring, high octane sport that will blow you away. The western edge of the hurling zone can be traced over a long distance. There is a plenty of insight into what goes on in the kilkenny camp, and the insatiable hunger of cody in particular is a noted theme. There is considerable reference to hurling iomain in gaelic in the oldest irish manuscripts describing the game as far back as the th century bc. Hurling is often referenced in irish myths and legends, the most famous of which has to be the early. Hurling is arguably the fastest field sport in the world and quite possibly the oldest. Decades later, he revealed the whole thing was a hoaxhe originally. Oct 07, 2011 hurling combines the skills of baseball, hockey, and lacrosse in one high speed, high scoring, high octane sport that will blow you away.
His hurling career highlights were junior and intermediate county championship medals with his native ballyhea. The earliest written references to the sport in brehon law date from the fifth century the tale of the tain bo cuailgne drawing on earlier legends describes the hero cuchulainn playing hurling. Its one of the oldest and fastest sports in the world. Croke park on the day of the allireland hurling final. The game has prehistoric origins, and has been played for 4,000 years. The hurling experience visitors will be immersed in the history and culture of the worlds oldest, fastest and many say most skillful field sport. Hurling simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. It is played with sticks called hurleys, a ball known as a sliotar, and by two teams of 15 who play on a large pitch with goals at either end. As gaelic football, i didnt know hurling before i came here. The hurlers paul rouses fascinating history of the. See more ideas about irish, irish memes and irish traditions. The western edge of the hurling zone can be traced over a.
Both a sports and a history book, full of wonderful stories from a different time, with tales of passion, skullduggery and controversy, played out. From ballyhea, county cork, diarmuid oflynn is a fulltime sports journalist with the irish examiner. Hurling is the fastest game on grass, the most skilful game in the world. Hurling combines the skills of baseball, hockey, and lacrosse in one high speed, high scoring, high octane sport. The book traces the mythological origins of hurling in the irish annals, summarises its variable progress in medieval and early modern times, and focuses on the golden age of the precodifies game in the eighteenth century. To the north, the midland bogs act, as in a way they have done throughout history, as a buffer zone, resolutely impervious to the spread of cultural influences from further south. As well as revisiting and revising the existing text, seamus king brings the history of hurling uptodate, including the 2005 championship. Ie is an irish based online bookstore offering a wide diverse range of books, new releases, bestsellers, bargains and rare books, with worldwide delivery. Dunseath eventually became the president of the world haggis hurling association and wrote a book about the sports history. America discovers an ancient irish sport is his first book and it was inspired by his reporting in america and the stories he uncovered in his podcast. Hurling is unique to ireland, and widely considered the fastest sport in the world.
Furthermore, it is also one of the oldest with its traditions set in the mists of ancient irish history. Its impossible to trace hurling back to its very origins, as it predates recorded irish history written history at least. Field and team size are often smaller in the us due to the population of 100yard fields. You will learn about the history of hurling and how it has evolved into the fastest field game in the world, that we see today in the year 2020. Rouse captures the historical and contemporary value of sport brilliantly throughout the book, argues mike cronin. The first literary reference of hurling dates the sport to 1272 bc during the battle of moytura in county mayo. One of irelands native gaelic games, it shares a number of features with gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of players, and much terminology. The most burgeoning and consistent genre on the irish sports book landscape in. History of hurling hurling is arguably the fastest field sport in the world and quite possibly the oldest. Rouses book paints a picture of the 1880s in which poverty, landlords, eviction and. Hurling is played all over the world amongst irish communities and has become very popular in the united states. Played in every corner of the island, it is a remarkable game without thousands of years of history behind it. Hurling is one of the oldest field games in the world and is popular for at least 3000 years in ireland with the first literary reference dating back to 1272 bc.
It was the summer of setanta in hurling and tyrones first allireland in. Hurling is older than the recorded history it is thought to predate the arrival of the celts. The most burgeoning and consistent genre on the irish sports book landscape. It is said that hurling was first introduced to ireland in about 1200 bc when our celtic ancestors came to ireland and it is mentioned in ancient laws of ireland, the brehon law. In 1882 he attended the first meeting of the dublin hurling club, formed for the purpose of taking steps to reestablish the national game of hurling.
Hurling in irish, iomanaiocht or iomaint is an irish outdoor team sport similar to hockey, played by two teams of 15 people the object of the game is for players to use a wooden axeshaped stick called a hurley in irish a caman, pronounced kamawn, or a hurl, to hit a small ball called a sliotar pronounced slither between the opponents goalposts either over the crossbar for one. The first written reference to hurling dates back to 1272 bc. The first mention of hurling in writing appears in early irish brehon law during the fifth century, but the sport has featured in myths and spoken history for much longer. A beginners explanation of the irish sport known as gaa hurling. Ray mcmanus and his team at sportsfile are as passionate as all true sports fans, and have been taking photographs for over forty years. His new book, the hurlers, charts the birth of the modern. Played in every corner of the island, it is a remarkable game. With a long history dating back over 3000 years, hurling remains the second most popular sport in ireland today. The book really captures the essence of the american hurling culture.
Oct, 2012 as gaelic football, i didnt know hurling before i came here. You can find out more about the allireland by clicking. Dec 15, 2015 hurling is one of the oldest field games in the world and is popular for at least 3000 years in ireland with the first literary reference dating back to 1272 bc. It has been a distinct irish pastime for at least 3000 years. It continues to be popular, especially in the southern half of ireland. A vital look into the early years of the gaa and a perfect gift for both sport and history lovers mark gallagher, mail on sunday books of 2018 marries forensic historical research of the cultural and political contexts for the emergence of modern hurling with a polished style and storytelling ability that is rare among historians diarmaid. Today, hurling is the second most popular sport in ireland. Hurling the fastest game on grass short version youtube. Jan 28, 2019 discover book depositorys huge selection of hurling books online. Pat nolan if you remember mick mackey, christy ring, the rackards, michael ohehir, eddie keher, dancing to the sounds of cliff and elvis, the twist and hot pants, this book captures the mood of those moments. Hurling, also called hurley, outdoor stickandball game somewhat akin to field hockey and lacrosse and long recognized as the national pastime of ireland. The great mistake you can make in history is to look from the present, into. The first allireland championship and the making of.
Hurling is related to the games of shinty that is played primarily in scotland, cammag on the isle of man and bando which was played formerly in england and wales. Discover book depositorys huge selection of hurling books online. Irelands 40 greatest sports books ireland news and sport. You would be mad to visit ireland and not try our unique and ferocious sport. The last ten years has seen the tumultuous rise of clare as a major hurling power, followed by their recent decline, the first wexford championship success in a generation, the rising power of waterford in munster and the continued, if fragile, vitality. Cammag a stick and a ball sport played with hundreds of players. On the weekend of the allireland hurling final it seems only fitting that the history of irelands national game are discussed. In the early 1880s cusack turned his attentions to indigenous irish sports.
A new edition of the title which considers the history of the sport up until the 1995 and 1996 clare and wexford triumphs. Ray mcmanus and his team at sportsfile are as passionate as all true sports fans, and have. Nov 01, 2005 as well as revisiting and revising the existing text, seamus king brings the history of hurling uptodate, including the 2005 championship. A brief history of hurling in ireland culture trip. On saying that, if you are a neutral observer, who has no particular illfeeling towards tyrrell, and is just interested in hurling and sport, there is a lot to be gleaned from this book. Ie is an irish based online bookstore offering a wide diverse range of books, new releases, bestsellers, bargains and rare books, with worldwide. Fast, physical, athletic and driven by local and national rivalries, it is a unique part of our heritage.
Oct, 2018 paul rouse is an accidental academic, but a fascination with history deepened into a passion when it merged with his love of sport. For the official rules, please visit the gaa online. Being a sport that is dominated by the irish clubs, its a tough go sustaining an american club, and there are few resources available, except pure american grit and determination. It was the summer of setanta in hurling and tyrones first allireland in football. America discovers an ancient irish sport the story of how the irish team sport of hurling is spreading like wildfire across the united states. The great mistake you can make in history is to look from the present, into the past and project your experience onto what was. He has written for the boston irish reporter, the new york irish examiner, contributed to the irish examiner, leitrim observer, anglo celt, the sligo champion, sligo weekender. Watch this short tutorial video guide on how hurling is played by the gaelic athletic. A vital look into the early years of the gaa and a perfect gift for both sport and history lovers mark gallagher, mail on sunday books of 2018. Both a sports and a history book, full of wonderful stories from a different time, with. The book also touches on the ulster elements in the rebirth of hurling, in an ireland where empire games such as cricket, rugby union, and soccer were increasingly popular. This is all done in a hurling teams dressing room in kilkenny city, giving you that upclose, intense experience.
Paul rouse is an accidental academic, but a fascination with history deepened into a passion when it merged with his love of sport. Mentions of hurling go as far back as 1200 bc and the myths of the tain bo cuailnge, telling. Seamus kings book a history of hurling references oral history going back as far as 1200 bce of the game being played in tara, county meath. It explores hurlings ancient legacy, early american years and what irish america has been missing for generations. Mar 02, 2020 hurling is a traditional irish sport that is the oldest and fastest field game in the world. With so much ground to cover, an epic threepart documentary on hurling moves at breakneck pace. The first allireland championship and the making of modern hurling. The game has prehistoric origins and has been played for over 3,000 years. Each chapter of sport and ireland contains new research on the place of sport in irish life. Aug, 2019 the opening sequence to rte ones the game. The boundaries of the hurling region are surprisingly welldefined. Into the 20th century the sport continued to grow in popularity, and soon became associated with a growing sense of the irish identity and irish nationalism. Shinty scottish team sport resembling field hockey, played with long curved sticks and a small ball which is hit through tall goalposts. The weekly games of hurling, in the phoenix park, became so popular that, in 1883, cusack had sufficient numbers.
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