Hurling

For the Cornish sport of hurling, see Hurling the Silver Ball.

Irish postage stamp which portrays hurling

Hurling is a team sport of Celtic origin, played with sticks and a ball. The game, played primarily in Ireland, is the world's fastest field team sport. It resembles the games of shinty that is played primarily in Scotland and bandy that was played formerly in England and Wales. Hurling played by women is also known as camogie. Hurling is Ireland's native sport.

Game

The objective of this field game is for one of two teams to score more goals and points, during a match, than the other. A team is composed of 15 players: notionally, one goalkeeper, six defenders, two midfielders and six forwards. The field is 154 yards (140 m) long and between 80 to 90m wide, significantly larger than a soccer or rugby pitch. A match lasts 70 minutes, comprising two halves with an interval between them.

Goal scoring is done by players each using a stick to control a ball through their opposing goal posts. The skill of players comes from their ability and speed in controlling the ball. The posts, which are at each end of the field, are "H" posts as in rugby football but with a net under the crossbar as in soccer. The posts are seven yards (6.37 m) apart and the crossbar is seven feet (2.12 m) above the ground. Three points are scored when players control the ball under the crossbar while one point is scored when players control the ball over the crossbar.

The stick, which is also known as a hurley or camán, is made traditionally of Ash wood and is 32-38 inches (81-97 cm) in length with a flat blade opposite its handle. The ball, which is also known as a sliotar, is made of leather and and is 2.55 inches (65 mm) in diameter. A good strike with a stick can propel the ball up to 93 mph (150 km per hour) in speed and 262 feet (80 m) in distance.

During a match, players attack their opposing goal and protect their own. When the ball is on the ground, it must be played by striking or lifting it off the ground with a stick into the air where it may be struck again or caught by a player. If the ball is caught, the catching player may not throw it or carry it more than four paces, but is allowed to strike the ball with a stick or hand, or by kicking. The stick's flat blade, which is also known as a bas, may be used to carry the ball while a player controls it, but usually requires great skill. Players may be tackled but not struck with a stick. Accidental collisions between players and equipment do occur and, so a protective helmet and shin guards are recommended, but are not mandatory.

History

Hurling was first mentioned in a description of the 13th century Battle of Moytura where the mythical Tuatha Dé Danann defeated the Fir Bolg in a match and, later, in a battle. Hurling has also been mentioned in several other old Irish sources since and the game has enjoyed popularity through the ages.

The strongest hurling teams have come from the counties of Cork, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Wexford but teams such as Clare, Galway, Limerick, Offaly and Waterford have become prominent or re-ermerged since the 1980s. County Antrim in northeast Ireland is considered an isolated "hurling county" but has never won the Liam McCarthy Cup.

Significant hurling matches are those between the counties of Ireland in each of the four national provinces. Up to the end of the 1990s, the provincial champions played-off in the semi-finals for the right to compete in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final that takes place annually in September at Croke Park in Dublin. In recent times the championship has opened up to include a group stage and quarter-finals.

Since 1884, hurling has been governed by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). The most important match is the GAA All-Ireland Intercounty Championship which takes place annually in a modified knock-out format. The final matches are played at Croke Park and regularly attract attendances of up to 80,000 people.

National and International

Although many hurling clubs exist worldwide, only Ireland has a national team. It and the Scotland shinty team have played for many years with modified match rules. The match is the only such international competition.

Today Hurling remains entirely an amateur sport. None of the players or managers are paid, they play simply for the glory of winning.

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Winners

See the complete list of winners.

Famous Players

North America

Hurling has been played in North America ever since Irish immigrants began landing on North American shores. The earliest games of hurling in North America were played in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1788. The GAA's history in North America goes back a long way. In recent years, hurling has started to become popular in several cities in the United States, most notably the Milwaukee Hurling Club. The MHC will start its 10th competitive season in the summer of 2005 after finishing last season with eight teams and over 160 players. Other cities such as St. Louis and Seattle also have hurling clubs. In St. Louis, the club is growing rapidly. In three years, the club has gone from two squads for scrimmaging to four teams holding regular weekend matches. The sport is starting to gather support at the club level at some universities as well, notably the University of Notre Dame. Each year, the North American Gaelic Athletic Association holds a tournament between the North American clubs in different U.S. cities such as Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Boston. What marks out the Milwaukee Hurling Club from other established clubs in North America is that, while most North American clubs are predominantly Irish, Milwaukee's players are predominantly North American. About half of the Twin Cities GAA Hurling Club players are Irish and about half are North American, with the number of North Americans on the rise.

The 'traditional' way for clubs to operate is to have a core of Irish-born or Irish-American players who will get together and raise funds to invite players from Ireland for the summer. A debate is currently going on in the GAA about concerns about this practice which some say should be abandoned in favor of promoting the game among people who actually live in North America. Advocates say that inviting players is the only way to reach the numbers necessary to field a team. Critics say that the money spent inviting players would be better spent getting local people into the game, and would result in a stronger game in the long run.

Canada

United States