What is happening on the field? Players with ‘hurleys’ running everywhere, the ‘sliotar’ flighting from a part of the field to another, a score displayed with four different numbers… Are you lost?
To tell the truth, I felt a little bit confused when I assisted to a Hurling game for the first time at the Croke Park during a rainy Saturday afternoon this winter.
Hurling, have you already heard that word? It is actually one of the oldest sports played in the world and the oldest field game in Europe! It is Irish and was invented 3,000 hundred years ago, the first written reference being a manuscript dating back to 1272 BC. It tells us that the national hero Cuchulainn would have won a hurling game alone against 150 opponents. Later, on the recent history during the British occupation, some said that Irish nationalists played hurling with rifles. They held it by the muzzle simulating ‘hurleys’ to mislead the British surveillance. An historic sport then. The female version of the game is named Camogie, it is very similar and was created in 1903, the first game took place in 1904.
But concretely, how is it working on the field? The first thing you need to know is that Hurling is very complex, fast and said to be fairly violent. Here are some figures: 2 teams play against each other. Each team is made up of 15 players or ‘hurlers’, consisting of 1 goalkeeper, 6 defenders, 2 midfielders and 6 strikers. The size of the field is 140 meters long by 80 meters wide, it is bigger than a soccer field (105×68 meters for a championship FIFA game). A match last 60 or 70 minutes divided into 2 halftimes. The goal is to score points. In detail, every player has a stick called ‘hurley’ or ‘camán’ and try to catch the ‘sliotar’, a small ball little bigger than a tennis ball but much harder. Hit by a ‘hurley’ it can reach 110 km/h! Now that you have the framework, you are ready to try! The game goes fast, then you have to be reactant. Put your helmet on, take your ‘hurley’ and let’s go!
You just received the ‘sliotar’, what to do? All the adversaries are coming to you, the important is not to panic! You cannot pick up the ball with hand if it is on the ground. Two options: pick it up with your ‘hurley’ or with your feet. Now you have it, the two next options are to pass or to run. To pass? Ok, as there are no offside, you can try to send the ball far ahead to one of your teammates, kicking strongly the ball with your stick. But a closer teammate is maybe better placed, you can pass to him with your hand, kicking the ball with your palm. Indeed, launching the ‘sliotar’ directly is forbidden (as for the Gaelic football). You can also launch the ball with your feet. However, you still have the possibility to run towards the opposition goals. Be careful, with the ‘sliotar’ in your hands you cannot go for more than 4 steps, after that a pass is a possibility. If you want to keep the ball for a solo-run, bounce it or keep it balanced on the flat end of your ‘hurley’, and of course, do not forget to run. Easy!
Now scoring. You might be surprised on how to do that. It is actually not that complicated. The goals are ‘H-posts’ like in rugby. There are two possibilities to score, in both cases the ‘sliotar’ has to be sent with the ‘hurley’. If you send it between the opposition’s goal posts, over the crossbar, you score a point. If you send the ball below the crossbar you score a goal, which worth 3 points. You scored a goal! Congratulation!
Before celebrating the victory, have a look on the score. For each team, two numbers are displayed. For example, Dublin 0-18 Wexford 2-14 has been the result of the game I went to see. Who won? Wexford of course, with 20 points. Why? Let me explain: the first number is for goals, the second for points. In this case that means 0x3+18 = 18 versus 2×3+14 = 20. After such an exercise take some rest, you deserve it!
Actually, you can enjoy hurling in another way, less sporting but just as exciting. Going to watch a game at the Croke Park is a great experience. Croke Park is the biggest stadium of Ireland and one of the biggest in Europe. Its particularity is that it is dedicated to Gaelic sports only. I went there for a game of the Allianz Hurling League, Dublin versus Wexford. A frenzied game with a lot of action and suspense up until the last minute. The 80 000 seats stadium was not full, but the atmosphere was still there. The supporters were very active to encourage their favourite team, to cheer the beautiful actions on the field and eager to ‘boo’ the misconducts. It was tense with a plenty of yellow and red cards and even a penalty. The supporters were mixed in the stands and I had the chance to be placed just in front of two groups, one for Dublin the other for Wexford. Great lesson of Irish slang shouted in my hears.
The 70 minutes of the games went by very fast and that was the end. Time to leave the stadium? No! There is now a Gaelic football game. What? Irish have their own football? Yes, they do and that is very interesting and exciting. But I’ll take a rain check for that story.
Nathanaël Leymarie
Dublin Insight 