It's Europe's oldest field game and the eldest predecessor of hockey. An important part of Irish culture, hurling is a pastime more than 2,000 years old.
Trust me -- you didn't play a nice game of hurling after that party Friday night.
Hurling is played with a long stick, called a hurley (or, in Irish, cam+â-ín) that is curved outward at the end, similar to a hockey stick. The ball is similar to a hockey puck, but with raised ridges.
The field, or pitch, in hurling is 137 meters by 82 meters. The goal posts are the same shape as those used in rugby, but smaller in size. They are slightly higher than those used for soccer.
In hurling a player can hit the ball in the air or on the ground, and he or she can even pick up the ball and carry it for four steps.
Unlike hockey, or any similar sport that protects the well-being of its athletes, there are no rules about where a player can hit the ball, not even an over-the-head rule.
It is shocking that anyone would play this sport, and it is truly amazing that the injury count, while high, is not higher.
After a player takes four steps, he or she can bounce the ball back into his or her hand or continue to play on the ground. In a possession players may not bounce the ball back to themselves more than once.
To score, a player must use the hurley to either send the ball over the goal post for one point or into the goal, which is guarded by a goalie, for three points. The scoring system is similar to the one used in Gaelic football, covered in this column a couple weeks ago.
Hurling's main difference from football is the addition of the stick. The hurley only increases the speed (and danger) of the game, which results in a higher score and bloodier noses.
The most famous hurling player is a legend in Ireland and a hero most children know: Setanta. King Conor discovered Setanta playing hurling as a child. Setanta quickly became one of the game's greatest players.
Legend has it that one day the king had a great feast at the house of Culainn and invited Setanta to join him. Setanta arrived late and found that a vicious hound had been released to guard the house. Using only his hurling ball and hurley, he was able to defeat the dog by throwing the ball deep into the beast's mouth.
While the legend may not be true, or even based on truth, it is still told to this day and captures the competitiveness and viciousness of this great Gaelic sport.
Write to Will at wjohargan@bsu.edu
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