Who Feels Like Hurling? - 235
Hal Wastes His Wages
July 30, 2007
 

Truth be told, it’s not the first time I’ve had a Sunday morning that involved me, Guinness and hurling at a pub, but it’s the first time I’ve been allowed to stay. This past Sunday I stopped into Mulligan’s (159 First St., Hoboken) for a Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) showdown between Cork and Waterford in the Guinness All-Ireland Hurling Quarterfinals.

That’s right, hurling—not puking in a bucket for sport, not slinging a rock along the ice for accuracy with silly little brooms (that’s curling), but HURLING. Hurling is a magnificent contest which is best described as part field hockey, part lacrosse, part full-contact chainsaw juggling. A recent piece by Conor Dougherty in The Wall Street Journal (my source for all things sporting) highlighted the game and its unfortunate decline in America due to a thriving Irish economy coupled with American immigration channels becoming a bit tougher to navigate. Irish immigration has slowed significantly, with many even repatriating to the Auld Sod, thus creating a relative dearth of skilled hurlers on our shores. If you add the fact that many Americans live without decent health insurance, you can see why the sport is losing out.

A semester…ahem…”studying” in Dublin saw your humble narrator going out for the St. Patrick’s College (Drumcondra) hurling squad. I went in hell for leather and figured with my lacrosse background I’d have a bit of an edge. As far as handling the hurley and sliothar (the sport’s specialized ball, almost baseball-like in weight and texture but with raised seams for better handling) I held my own for a Yank. But when we drove out to Tallaght for our first match and I watched a teammate run back onto the pitch after having the 3-inch gash on his cheekbone stitched up on the sideline while he smoked a cigarette, I assumed a much more timid approach to the game. Suffice to say, you’d want full medical and dental before taking up hurling.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t watch it, and with the All-Ireland Championships underway you’ll see the best there is. I was lucky enough to catch one cracker of a match between Cork and Waterford. It was nice to sit through a sport broadcast without rumblings of asterisks, steroids, or dog-fighting, but it wasn’t without its own controversy as a questionable last-minute ruling gave Waterford the opportunity to tie it up resulting in a draw. Maybe Tim Donaghy has a cousin in Waterford…

In any case, the teams will go at it again this Sunday, with the winner advancing to the semifinals. For more information on GAA games check out www.gaa.ie and to learn more about hurling in our area log onto www.ny-gaa.org. And check in with Mulligan’s (www.mulligansonfirst.net) for the All-Ireland fixtures and local live viewing times. Some say Hurling may be dying in America, but you ought to stop by and see it put up a fight.

Christopher M Halleron owns and retains all proprietary rights to the Site and the content provided by the Site. The Site contains material, including links and compilations of individual data, trademarks, and other proprietary information of chrishalleron.com.  Except for that information which is in the public domain or for which you have been given written permission to use, you may not copy, modify, publish, transmit, distribute, perform, display, or sell any such proprietary information.  Any questions or comments, please contact Chris Halleron at chris@chrishalleron.com.