Experiencing Gaelic Games

Written By: Gail Clifford | Published By: Weekend Notes | July 26, 2022

https://www.weekendnotes.com/experiencing-gaelic-games/

The most popular sports in Ireland are soccer, rugby, Gaelic football (called Gaa by the Irish, they tell me), and hurling. I’ve been in Dublin intermittently since 2012 and never made the time to really investigate the latter two, neither of which I’d seen in action. This month, I was fortunate to be in Dublin when the finals for both hurling and Gaa took place. While there is a Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) experience to learn about these Gaelic Games near Glasnevin, when I researched it, I lucked out. They had an abbreviated class right on Trinity’s campus, a block from our home. Sign me up!

Wearing workout clothes, I presented to the Trinity College – Dublin Pavilion on the sports pitch and met Cormac and Vinnie. Cormac and his wife started the program. They’re educating international visitors about these sports, so integrated into Irish life. I’d heard on a tour a couple of years ago that there were three main influences on Irish life since the Irish Free State was formed 100 years ago (1922): Fianna Fáil, one of Ireland’s political parties, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Gaelic Athletic Association. The first two have been failing, but the Gaelic Athletic Association remains strong. There’s nothing in any other nation that can compare with the width and depth of the GAA’s integration into the life of its people. A map of the over 2,000 GAA clubs closely follows the Irish map. Local people of all ages play the national sports that continue to promote the culture.

The GAA, founded in 1884 as a product of the Celtic Revival, was a response to the loss of half the population from the Great Hunger and rebellions. Those who survived had a great interest in preserving their culture and heritage. While the political parties and the Roman Catholic Church faltered, the GAA developed into the largest social organisation in Western Europe.

“GAA is the most successful cultural organisation for the protection of indigenous culture,” Cormac explains. “Our sports are part of our heritage, and the king of these sports is hurling. It’s older than our recorded history.”

Cormac and his wife created these Warrior Games to allow people to enjoy themselves and introduce them to this culture. Here in Ireland, you’re born into your GAA club. Unlike the United States where, in all our professional sports, baseball, basketball, football, hockey, players are drafted and traded, in Ireland, you stay with the same club your entire life, with extremely rare exceptions.

In the U.S., lacrosse is a national sport. But stick and ball sports have existed with native Americans since ancient warrior civilisation times. It was a way for warriors to build their skills in preparation for a full-scale attack. Ancient myths and legends predate the written word, and the myths all tell of their exploits.

The expertise continues today. The Irish footballer will cover more ground in 70 minutes than a premier soccer player will cover because the field is so much larger. Cormac speaks eloquently about the need for indigenous cultures to incorporate these great skills, “since God was a child, I suppose.”

But it’s fundamentally about tribal identity and the Irish culture. Fifteen percent of the Irish population belongs to the GAA. There’s no other organisation in any country that we’ve found to match it.

The children begin to play at a very young age. Hurlers come to be ruled by the “small ball,” and Gaelic footballers by the “large ball.” While children learn both, by the time they’re in the American equivalent of high school, they tend to have chosen with one or the other. If the individual is good enough, they have the tremendous honour of being chosen to play for their County. If their County does well that year, they may play their way into the finals.

Most surprisingly, not a single player is professional. None of them are paid to play.

Of everyone who lives within the County boundaries who plays, 45 men and 45 women are chosen to play for the County at the All-Ireland sport level. This is one thing that brings the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland together.

Though Irish sports were illegal until 1922, it didn’t take much to have the Northern Irish put the political and religious rivalries aside to play. There were still problems during the Troubles, but most of Northern Ireland is supportive of the game and it’s no longer illegal there, either. As further example of the North’s acceptance, you need only look at the mural at the entrance to Northern Ireland. Hurlers and footballers join an Irish dancer, James Connolly, and Bobby Sands.

After all, their finals have more attendees than the NFL Super Bowl or the MLB World Series.

Their women’s teams games recently had the second highest attendance of any women’s sporting event, behind the 1999 FIFA American Women’s Soccer team’s win against China in the Final.

Cormac taught me about hurling first. The hurling sticks, typically made of ash wood, have a thinner edge on the paddle to allow players to lift the ball, a sliotar (pronounced “slitter”) made of a cork centre covered in leather.

It’s only been since 2010 that helmets with faceguards have been required. Hurling is a very active, high-contact sport. Helmets reduce the risk of head injury where the sliotar can reach 180 km/hr (112 mph).