Hurling

Hurling, one of the oldest field sports known to man, is surely one of Ireland's greatest 'inventions' and definitely among the best sports on earth. Then why the hell is it not played outside the country (excluding ex-pats of course)?! The great Irish mythological hero, Setanta, once defeated the hound of Culainn with only his hurley stick and sliotar (small leather ball), and ever since the legends of Irish hurling have a special place in the heart of the nation: the likes of Christy Ring, Henry Shefflin, DJ Carey and Joe Cooney, will never be forgotten...and never known outside Ireland!

With the spirt of these great men firmly in my soul I took to a Juneathon day of hurling today - pucking about (not a rude term, it means hitting the sliotar with the hurley stick) with some lads who are staying in our house for a few weeks. A mild effort for Juneathon you might say - not so if you knew the game of hurling, or the sporting lads who took to the field!