In my last post I mentioned the sports of Hurling and Gaelic Football. Unless you're familiar with Aussie rules football, there's really nothing quite like them.
Gaelic Football is a lot like soccer, but you can use your hands and kick through crossbars. I know, I know... How can it be like soccer if the core rule in soccer is that you can't use your hands? It just is. The ball is slightly different (paneled almost like a volleyball) and the play is a bit more contact-oriented. Well, a LOT more contact oriented. The play in the pic to the right is about normal for the game and the odds that a whistle was blown are pretty slim. The rules are easy enough to catch onto and playing is a lot of fun. I've been playing with the Arklow Geraldines (pronounced Geral-dine, not Geral-deen) Ballymoney for a little over a month now and it didn't take long to understand how to play. That said, I must also add that 'solo-ing' a ball is the hardest 'basic skill' I have ever had to learn. In simple terms: it's dropping the ball to your foot and kicking it back up to your hands. Sounds easy enough, right? Try doing it while sprinting at full speed with somebody chasing you and trying to punch the ball out of your control. You can only take 4 steps between each solo, so it's a necessity - like dribbling the ball in soccer or basketball. I've had to get used to playing with a size 4 ball again (slightly smaller than a regular soccer ball) but having played so many sports in the past has been really helpful. There's an element from all of them in there basketball (you can bounce the ball between solos), soccer (there's a decent amount of kicking involved), and rugby (there's quite a bit of contact).
As much fun as Gaelic is, I don't think I've ever been on a team where I've felt so old and out of shape. The next level down is the Under-14's, so we've got everyone from age 15 to 30+ on our team. Do you remember the amount of energy and speed you had when you were 16? Would you want to pit your current self against that 16 year old now?? Didn't think so. I'm holding my own though and slowly getting fit again. It's a fun way to keep busy, meet new people, and get my tired, old-feeling self back in shape again!
As for hurling - I really don't even know what to say about it. The people who play it are crazy. They would have to be. The equipment is much like a field hockey stick (hurley) and a baseball
with inside-out seams (sliothar). If you were to witness a game you would wonder if there were any rules and how every single player didn't leave the field with broken bones. Only in the last few years have helmets really become a standard item and some people still play without them. It's been called 'one of the fastest games on the planet' and with good reason. These guys are fit, strong, and fast. The speed and strength they swing their hurleys with is scary and I cringe every time I see a game. Check out the last link on this page for a clip from a game.
The other odd thing about both games is the way score is kept. It's not your typical 'Sox won 4 to 3' score. You can score with a goal (3 points) or a point through the crossbars (1 point) and they keep score that way. So the score of a game might be 3-10 to 3-2. And they show it with the dash included. You can see it on some of the videos from my earlier link. Whatever the score though, there's nothing like watching a good game in the stands or in your local pub over here. Anywhere you can find fans you'll find good craic, good pints, and good friends. ;-)
Gaelic Football is a lot like soccer, but you can use your hands and kick through crossbars. I know, I know... How can it be like soccer if the core rule in soccer is that you can't use your hands? It just is. The ball is slightly different (paneled almost like a volleyball) and the play is a bit more contact-oriented. Well, a LOT more contact oriented. The play in the pic to the right is about normal for the game and the odds that a whistle was blown are pretty slim. The rules are easy enough to catch onto and playing is a lot of fun. I've been playing with the Arklow Geraldines (pronounced Geral-dine, not Geral-deen) Ballymoney for a little over a month now and it didn't take long to understand how to play. That said, I must also add that 'solo-ing' a ball is the hardest 'basic skill' I have ever had to learn. In simple terms: it's dropping the ball to your foot and kicking it back up to your hands. Sounds easy enough, right? Try doing it while sprinting at full speed with somebody chasing you and trying to punch the ball out of your control. You can only take 4 steps between each solo, so it's a necessity - like dribbling the ball in soccer or basketball. I've had to get used to playing with a size 4 ball again (slightly smaller than a regular soccer ball) but having played so many sports in the past has been really helpful. There's an element from all of them in there basketball (you can bounce the ball between solos), soccer (there's a decent amount of kicking involved), and rugby (there's quite a bit of contact).As much fun as Gaelic is, I don't think I've ever been on a team where I've felt so old and out of shape. The next level down is the Under-14's, so we've got everyone from age 15 to 30+ on our team. Do you remember the amount of energy and speed you had when you were 16? Would you want to pit your current self against that 16 year old now?? Didn't think so. I'm holding my own though and slowly getting fit again. It's a fun way to keep busy, meet new people, and get my tired, old-feeling self back in shape again!
As for hurling - I really don't even know what to say about it. The people who play it are crazy. They would have to be. The equipment is much like a field hockey stick (hurley) and a baseball
with inside-out seams (sliothar). If you were to witness a game you would wonder if there were any rules and how every single player didn't leave the field with broken bones. Only in the last few years have helmets really become a standard item and some people still play without them. It's been called 'one of the fastest games on the planet' and with good reason. These guys are fit, strong, and fast. The speed and strength they swing their hurleys with is scary and I cringe every time I see a game. Check out the last link on this page for a clip from a game.The other odd thing about both games is the way score is kept. It's not your typical 'Sox won 4 to 3' score. You can score with a goal (3 points) or a point through the crossbars (1 point) and they keep score that way. So the score of a game might be 3-10 to 3-2. And they show it with the dash included. You can see it on some of the videos from my earlier link. Whatever the score though, there's nothing like watching a good game in the stands or in your local pub over here. Anywhere you can find fans you'll find good craic, good pints, and good friends. ;-)
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