Two of the old men decided during trip planning that attending an Irish hurling match was a must.  So they set off one morning for Abbeydorney, leaving one old man with the old ladies (see Three Old Ladies and a Husband).  When we returned from our day out, we found the men hurling on the back lawn, with bats and a ball they found in the out building included in our AirBNB.

The Demo

We grilled them, as only old ladies can, and received the following account of Irish hurling.

Dating from 2000BC, hurling is wildly popular in Ireland.  It is played to a high level, while remaining entirely amateur.  The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) is the governing body for traditional sports, including hurling.

Undoubtedly the fastest game on grass, the game is played on the same type of field as Gaelic-rules football. Fifteen players to a side, they run like hell while bouncing a baseball-sized ball on a stick called a “hurley”.  There is no padding, but a helmet and face cage are mandatory.  At the game the old men attended, there was limited substitution and they saw two lads down with injuries. To score points, they bat the ball (sometimes half the length of the field) through uprights for 1 point or into the goal below the crossbar for 3 points.

Our lads in the backyard managed about 30 feet.

Tip: If you are in Ireland and looking for a hurling match:

• Google “fixture (county name) gaa.ie”.  For example – fixture kerry gaa.ie for games in Kerry county.  Note: hurling and other football “fixtures” are often shown on the same schedule.  A little confusing.
• Consult a local.  We asked pub waiters in two different towns for hurling info and received an enthusiastic and entertaining story from one lad, whose town was in the finals for the first time in 45 years, and a lackluster response from another, whose town was not.