"National Sports of Ireland" Ireland Travelogue by Enzo

<center>The Gaelic Athletic Association</center>

On November 1st 1884 The Gaelic Athletic Association (G.A.A.) was founded by a group of Irishmen. These spirited Irishmen realised the importance of creating a national organisation to revive and restore traditional Irish culture pastimes.

Until that time all that the Irish traditions were being steadily eroded by emigration, desperate poverty and <em>outside influences</em>. Six months after that famous first meeting, clubs sprang up all over Ireland and people began to play Hurling and Gaelic Football and take part in Athletic events with pride. Around 1925 the G.A.A. handed over the organisation of Athletics to a separate organisation.

The Irish who emigrated brought their national games with them and established the sports in America, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Canada, Asia, mainland Europe and in many other parts of the world where Irish groups settled.

<center>National Organisation</center>

The National Organisation (G.A.A.) is run by Central Council Árd Comhairle. The day-to-day affairs are controlled by a Management Committee (Coiste Bainistí). They run the All-Ireland series of the club and county championships, and look after the Railway Cup competition.

Although at times it looks as though there are no rules, there are indeed strict rules however the game is let flow as much as possible and many "minor" rules are let go to keep the game moving fast and add to the excitment.

Hurling is played on the same pitch or field as gaelic football with the same goals and the same basic rules. However hurling is played with a small ball and a curved wooden stick called a hurley (camán in Irish). It is Europe's oldest field game. When the Celts came to Ireland as the last ice age was receding, they brought with them a unique culture, their own language, music, script and unique pastimes. One of these pastimes was a game now called hurling.

The hurley is curved outwards at the end, to provide the striking surface. The ball or "sliothar" is similar in size to a hockey ball but has raised ridges.

You may hit the ball on the ground, or in the air. You may pick up the ball with your hurley and carry it for not more than four steps in the hand. After those steps you may bounce the ball on the hurley and back to the hand, but you cannot catch the ball this way more than twice. To get around this, one of the skills is running with the ball balanced on the hurley To score, you put the ball over the crossbar with the hurley or under the crossbar and into the net by the hurley for a goal, the latter being the equivalent of three points.

The team format and positioning is the same as in Gaelic football and the game officials are also the same.

This is the fastest field sport in the world and also the most exciting. It looks very dangerous but I have played myself and it is really good fun, you just have to be tough and able to take a few knocks.

Interesting to note that everybody who plays these sports are amateurs and have to work also. But all the top players are probably fitter and stronger than most professional soccer players and sports people. In fact many Gaelic footballers have gone on to play professional soccer quite successfully.

The Irish sports of Gaelic football and Hurling are played club, county and provincial level. To understand this system you need to know the basic geography of Ireland.

The island of Ireland is divided into four provinces;

<ul>
<li>Ulster</li>
<li>Munster</li>
<li>Leinster</li>
<li>Connaught</li>
</ul>

Each of these provinces are comprised of counties, in all there are 32 counties in Ireland. Each county has a number of hurling and football clubs and also have a county team which competes in the national league and national championship.

On to the sports . . .

This guy above ont he left (wearing helmet) is one of the greatest players to ever play this sport, and he is still playing, so it's an honour to see him in action, if u ever get the chance...

The culmination of the years competitions are the All Ireland Finals. In Gaelic football teams compete for the much values Sam Maguire Cup and in Hurling compete for the Liam McCarthy Cup. The finals are played in Croake Park Dublin and the attendance is always in excess of 60,000 people.

Croake park is undergoing redevelopment which will raise capacity to approx. 80,000 people. This will be FULL on All Ireland Day.

The national sports of Ireland include the following;

<ul>
<li>Gaelic Football</li>
<li>Hurling</li>
<li>Camogie</li>
<li>Handball</li>
<li>Rounders</li>
</ul>

Gaelic football and Hurling are the two most popular sports. Camogie is a version of hurling played by women.

I will explain Gaelic football and hurling in a little detail, for the other sports I will give a brief explanation.

Under construction................

Gaelic Football, or in Ireland simply as Gaelic or football can "roughly" be described as a cross between rugby and soccer but it predates both these sports. It also has similarities to Australian rules football and it's thought Australian rules developed fron Gaelic football. Actually there is a "new" game played between Ireland and Australia called Compromise Rules which is a mix between Australian Rules and Gaelic Football, but thats another story.

Gaelic is a fast, furious, tough and exciting sport. It is played on a grass field approx. 130m * 80m with goals at either end. The goals consist of two very high poles but with a cross bar a little lower than in soccer goals (and with a net behind). A team scores by putting the ball between the poles either over or under the crossbar by kicking or punching the ball. The score for over the cross bar is one point, and for under the cross bar is 3 points.

The ball used in Gaelic Football is round, slightly smaller but heavier than a soccer ball. It can be carried in the hand for a distance of four steps and can be kicked or "hand-passed", punching the ball with the hand. After every four steps the ball must be either bounced or "solo-ed", which means dropping the ball onto your foot and kicking it back to yourself. The ball cannot be bounced twice in a row.

Each team has fifteen players, the standard formation is as follows: One goalkeeper, three full-backs, three half-backs, two in midfield, three half-forwards and three full-forwards. On the pitch or playing field it looks like this:
<center>
Goalkeeper
Right corner-back Full-back Left corner-back
Right half-back Centre half-back Left half-back
Midfielder Midfielder
Right half-forward Centre half-forward Left half-forward
Right corner-forward Full-forward Left corner-forward
</center>

Like in any team sprot the players wear a jersey with their team colours and a number on the back. Both teams must have different colour jerseys. The goalkeepers' jerseys be different to the other team members. Referees normally wear an all black uniform.

Very Basic Rules:
Teams can have a maximum of three substitutes in a game. Players can switch positions on the field of play as much as they wish but this is usually on the instructions of team officials, but usually players tend to hold their positions. It is only some players who alter positions to upset the opposing defence.

Officials for a game comprise of a referee, two linesmen; to indicate when the ball leaves the field of play at the side and 4 umpires; to signal scores.

A goal (three points) is signalled by raising a green flag, placed to the left of the goal. A point is signalled by raising a white flag, placed to the right of goal.