5 Reasons To Watch Hurling, Ireland’s Most Epic Sport

I try not to swear at my phone in public. If I do, it’s because of a hurling match. Hurling is the greatest sport that you probably haven’t heard of if you’re not from Ireland. Hurling comes from a group of sports called Gaelic games, sports made by and for Irish people. Hurling is a full-contact sport, played between two teams of fifteen. Each player has a wooden stick called a hurley, which looks like a thicker, more massive hockey stick. Players wear no protection except for a helmet. During the game, players run around a large rectangular pitch, trying to get possession of the sliotar — a small white ball that resembles a baseball. Players score by hitting the sliotar into the opponent’s net for three points, or between the crossbars above for two points. Here are five reasons why you should invest yourself in Ireland’s greatest sport.

1. The Action is INSANE.

Let’s start with the best part of hurling: this game is intense. Hurling is full contact, players only wear helmets for protection, and hurleys are gigantic wooden clubs. Oh, and no safety rules regulate the size of hurleys. All that (officially) matters is that the player can wield the hurley comfortably. Players move the ball by balancing it on the edge of their hurley as they move, or passing it downfield while being chased by fifteen people, also brandishing clubs. There aren’t many rules about contact, beyond “shoulder checking is fine.” Otherwise, the general idea is “beat the snot out of whoever has the ball.” Historical evidence suggests that hurling was used in ancient Ireland to train young warriors. No wonder.

The games are also fast-paced, lasting for about an hour- this means that you can get your violence done and have plenty of time left in your day. However, it also means that you have to get invested quickly and watch closely. I once bought tickets with friends to watch Dublin play at the famous Croke Park. We found our seats, went back to get snacks, and missed almost half of the game. Really though, why would you want to miss hurling?

2. Hurling Is The Sport Of Mythic Heroes

The story of hurling starts in ancient Ireland, in the northern province of Ulster. A child named Setanta longs to join the Macra, a troop of young boys under the protector of his uncle Conor Mac Nessa, the King of Ulster. If deemed worthy, these boys will become Red Branch Knights, part of the king’s legendary army. Setanta’s mother thinks that he’s too young, so he sets off on his own for the fort of the king, bringing his hurley and sliotar with him. When Setanta arrives, he sees the Macra playing a game of hurling, and joins uninvited. The boys are furious at Setanta’s presumption and attack him from all sides with their spears. Setanta fights them off bravely, catching the eye of his uncle. The king admires Setanta’s bravery and decides to let him join the Macra.

Setanta eventually finds his place in the Macra, and time passes quickly. Eventually, Setanta is invited to a banquet, held for the king and his knights by the king’s blacksmith, Culann. As Conor sets out, Setanta is finishing a game of hurling, and he tells the king that he’ll be along soon. When the king and his knights arrive at Culann’s fort, Culann asks if the entire company is present. Culann says that if everyone is present, he will release his vicious wolfhound to guard the fort. Forgetting about Setanta, Conor says that all are present, and the wolfhound is released. Setanta arrives soon after, and the hound attacks.

Meanwhile, inside the fort, Conor’s knights realize that Setanta is missing, and everyone rushes outside, expecting to find Setanta dead. Instead, they find that Setanta has defeated the hound with the only weapons he has: his hurley and sliotar. All are relieved to see Setanta alive except for Culann, who is distraught at the loss of his dog. Acknowledging that the hound was only doing his duty to his master, Setanta tells Culann that he will be his watchdog until Culann can raise a new hound.

Setanta is renamed Cú Chulainn, meaning “The Hound of Culann.” Cú Chulainn goes on to become the mightiest warrior in Ulster, single-handedly defending Ulster from invasion. Cú Chulainn and his story would go on to inspire countless poets and authors to write, and Irish rebels to continue the struggle for freedom.

Does football have an epic, mythic origin story? Nope.

3. Hurling Is The Sport Of Rebellion

Hurling was banned by the Normans and English multiple times over hundreds of years, but the bans did anything but discourage players. During the periods when these bans took place, records describe massive gatherings of both native Irish and English settlers sitting down to watch a game. One of the most stringent prohibitions — the 1367 statute of Kilkenny — was so ineffective that the Kilkenny hurling team is now legendary. However, the universal enjoyment of hurling wouldn’t last. An Irish nationalist rebellion in 1798 would deepen the divide between Irish Catholics and British Protestants, and the United Kingdom’s annexation of Ireland in 1800 would result in robust suppression of Irish culture.

Eventually, hurling became a defiant expression of Irish identity. In the 18 and 1900s, Gaelic culture experienced a revival. The Gaelic Athletic Association was created in 1884 to codify and promote Gaelic sports over English sports like football and rugby. As Irish nationalism became more militant, hurling was used by Irish rebels to support their cause. After the War of Independence began in 1919, the Irish Republican Army used hurleys as stand-ins for rifles during training, or when they were short on firearms. Many rebels ran GAA clubs, now named for the patriots who started them. One of the most horrific incidents of the war even took place during a hurling game. On November 21, 1920, After the Irish Republican Army assassinated twelve British agents in Dublin, the British Army took revenge. During a hurling match at Croke Park, the British army and police stormed the stadium and opened fire, killing fourteen and wounding dozens. Today the events are known as Bloody Sunday and are commemorated every year.

4. The Rules Preserve The Irishness of the Game

So, back to the game itself. One unique aspect of hurling — and all GAA games — is how someone becomes a hurler. As we have established, hurling and Irishness are deeply connected. To maintain this connection, the GAA has rules about who can play hurling, and where. If you want to join the big leagues, you start playing hurling as a child for the club in your neighborhood. If you’re lucky, you’ll continue to progress to bigger teams as you grow, but continue to stay in your area. If you make it to the top, you’ll end up playing for your county. Players can’t choose to play for a team just because they like them, and clubs can’t trade players based on skill level or pay. You play for your home team. Some exceptions have been made based on family roots or if the player has to move away for work, but most players will stick to the leagues and teams of their childhood.

Let’s compare that to American sports. I’m from Texas, and I grew up watching Texas teams. However, many people on the teams where I’m from aren’t actually from Texas. I grew up watching A-Rod play baseball for the Rangers, and heard all of the anger, indignation, and betrayal from Texans when he switched to the New York Yankees. Funnily enough, he’s actually from New York. For an even more extreme example, look at the Dallas Stars hockey team. As hot as it is, Texas isn’t exactly known for hockey. So, we don’t have droves of native Texans signing up to play. When you look at the roster, you’ll see countries like Canada, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, and Kazakstan. Sports leagues in the U.S. form teams and pick players based on monetary value, and that brings me to my last point.

5. Hurling Players Don’t Play Professionally

Oh, don’t get me wrong. Hurlers are incredibly professional. Anyone who can balance a tiny ball on a stick while being chased by 15 other murderous stick-wielders has to be professional. Hurlers don’t get paid to play professionally. Let’s say that you play for Galway, and have just helped bring your team to a championship victory at Croke Park. You are now a hometown hero. A legend from the Galway Tribesmen. People will recognize you on the streets and scream your name. Do you know what will happen now? You’ll go back to the locker room, take off your jersey, go for celebratory drinks with the lads, …and then go back to work at your regular job on Monday. Some players receive sponsorships, or the team might get a car, but the vast majority of players are there because they’re passionate about the game, and this is what makes hurling infectiously enjoyable. Every player on the pitch is there because they love it, and if you watch the game, you will too.

So, there you have it. If you’re in the U.S., you can find hurling games on Facebook, YouTube, and the GAA website, so there’s absolutely no reason not to. Grab your drink of choice, slip on a jersey, sit down with the family, and enjoy the sport that is purely fun and purely Irish: Hurling.