This weekend, one of global sport’s great yet largely unknown spectacles will take place.
The fact that the 128th All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final is taking place this weekend will not be widely known to many outside of the Irish diaspora.
Indeed, the ancient Irish sport of hurling is unlikely to be a hot topic around most Australian dinner tables.
But having experienced a game over in Ireland as a sporting tourist earlier in the year, I could not fail to be impressed and have been hooked ever since.
On Sunday, 82,500 fans will converge on the historic Croke Park in Dublin to witness Kilkenny and Galway slug it out for the second time in the Championship this season.
Having established themselves as one of the dominant dynasties in sporting history under manager Brian Cody, 35-time champions Kilkenny are firm favourites to retain the Liam McCarthy Cup. In fact the Cats have only failed to make the final in three seasons since 1998, winning a spectacular 10 of their 14 appearances under Cody in the same period.
On the other hand, their opponents Galway – who dispensed of Tipperary in the semi-final by a solitary point in time added on – have not been champions since 1988. Galway have already lost the Leinster Championship final to the Cats earlier this season (1-25 to 2-15) and a similar result will be expected on Sunday, with Kilkenny $1.50 favourites, despite the number of tight clashes between the two sides in recent years.
Described by its fans as the fastest game on earth, hurling is undoubtably one of the great spectacles in world sport. And although ice hockey fans might contest that statement, the game is extraordinarily, almost impossibly quick.
While Australian sports fans may be familiar with Gaelic football courtesy of the International Rules Series, I’d wager far fewer are familiar with Ireland’s other indigenous field sport.
Hurling has its roots over 800 years ago in Ireland and involves teams of 15-a-side playing what is essentially a vicious version of head-high hockey on a field that’s not dissimilar to a large soccer pitch, complete with goals that are a hybrid of soccer and rugby posts.
The aim, as always, is to score more than the opposition. You score by striking the ball over the crossbar for one point, or into the net past a goalkeeper for three.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtZ0zDHqtug.
In the match that I went to see, Tipperary beat hosts Limerick by 4-23 (35) to 1-16 (19) in the Munster (Provincial) Championship semi-final – their biggest win over Limerick in the Munster Championship for 53 years.
And I was instantly captivated. I could see why so many who witness a hurling match for the first time are enthralled – famously including legendary English football commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme.
And as much as this was a new experience for me, so much about the event was familiar and traditional-feeling.
The cold, grey, concrete bowl of the Gaelic Grounds spoke of an austere and minimalist environment in which to experience high level sport. Even the simple act of standing is becoming an increasingly exotic experience in modern stadia, and yet a considerable portion of the 31,488 crowd were packed into the terraces at either end of the Gaelic Grounds.
The most incredible part of the whole experience, however, was the realisation that none of the players earned a cent for their participation on the field. In the GAA, players represent and fight for their parish or county, for their friends and families instead of a pay check.
This unique niche the GAA occupies by being an amateur organisation is scarcely believable in the modern age of multi-billion dollar TV deals and sponsorships. Not just because of the obvious challenge of being effectively a full-time athlete while holding down a full-time job, but due to the incredible fitness, skill and talent these guys showed on the field.
The players at the top level are professional in all but their salaries, training almost full time at the expense of their private and professional lives.
This does give the GAA a Jekyll and Hyde identity crisis, being so staunchly amateur yet with the setup and – most importantly – expectations of a fully professional sport.
Yet the GAA thrives despite numerous murmuring and clamour for some kind of revolution. And as another September rolls around, the players and the fans can look forward to another September spectacle at Croke Park.
So if you find yourself watching the game over the weekend, give it a chance. Because as another spectacle in a month packed full of sporting spectacles, the All-Ireland final more than deserves its place among them.
Simon Smale
Roar Guru
Go raibh maith agat for your response Ivan (sorry, that's all the Gaeilge I've got - although I am learning...). I absolutely loved the sport when I was over there - I got really into it and as my girlfriend played camogie when she was in Dublin, she has been teaching me the basics. When we were over on a trip I dragged some of her family half way across the country to Limerick for the game we saw and I couldn't believe how fast it was. Nothing I can say can describe the speed and the skill of the players. We even took home a couple of hurleys and a sliothar to play with! The Tipperary centre forward Seamus Callanan was particularly impressive along with Patrick Maher - and the goal keeper Darren Gleeson was incredible. I just don't know how he could react as fast as he did - it's little wonder you couldn't find a way past him in the Semi-Final. But when Joe Canning can hit ground balls like he did in that semi you don't need to score goals! As for the crowd, you've hit the nail on the head, the passion was extraordinary, even at the early stage of the Championship that I saw. The crowd was fantastic. A group of lads in front of us were getting well into the drink but were still respectful and courteous enough for it to be an enjoyable environment throughout. Best of luck for the final today - I hope the result goes for you.
Ivan Murray
Guest
Hi Simon. Great article and that is from a Galway man hiding out in Alberta Canada...and without question going to miss Galways historic win. For your readers hurling is indescribable. You are spot on to mention the fantastic sport of Ice Hockey (and at the moment I live in Edmonton the home of its greatest ever player the Edmonton Oilers' Wayne Gretzky - 99 - 'The Great One' & now the home of the next great one Connor McDavid drafted in June of this year who has transcended all junior records including Gretzky's & is still only NINETEEN. His nickname is Connor McJesus because the Oliers' are to build a whole new dynasty around this guy!) Of course Ice Hockey is the proud grandson of Hurling/Sinte (Scotland's allied game). This history is fascinating & I recommend any sports enthusiast to read up about it and how it led to the establishment of the NHL and the original big 6 (teams). Back to hurling..which in essence is 15 vs 15 I was a rubbish hurler. But my dad, his brothers & indeed my older brother were exceptional. It takes a basic instinct for its skills (of which there over 80 documented) allied to lightening reflexes, stamina and athleticism. There some injuries of course but in the modern game with helmets and better monitoring serious injury is mercifully rare. Every hurling fan yearns for 'open hurling' & 'physicality' in addition to plenty of 'ground hurling' (playing ball on the ground) peppered with some of those skills I mentioned (hooking (impeding a players strike of the ball), blocking and the greatest skill of them all the 'sideline cut'. This is where the player swings the hurl underneath the dead ball thereby lifting it into the air. This defies all laws of nature and is done with consummate ease by the gifted (eg Joe Canning for Galway v Tipp (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOKTkgkXTog)) I have been at many many matches. Most of which as you point out Galway lost. But my God the tension. The drama. The exhilaration when your team scores. The last 5 minutes of a tight match. And at this stage of the season they are all tight matches. It is absolutely incredible. I have seen men attended to by paramedics. I have seen others cry like babies on the shoulders of complete strangers. I have felt the roar of the crowd through my shoes in the upper tier of the Hogan stand in the magical Croke Park. The mecca of this great sport of ours. And I have seen the greatest ever winning speech all as Gaeilge (in Irish) when Galway won in 1980 after 56 years (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF-Nk66P5OQ) Thankfully this greatest of sporting secrets is getting out (http://www.balls.ie/gaa/the-british-hurling-reaction-to-the-all-ireland-final/135395) and check out the picture on the left of this webpage of the immense & greatest ever hurling legend Henry Shevlin (Kilkenny) = God. And an utter gentleman. In the end hurling it all about passion. 'Pride of the parish'. And the players don't get paid a penny. Not a red cent. They are all amateurs. Its about playing with your neighbors, your brothers, & for your forefathers; your community. Both sets of spectators mingle freely and it is the greatest family day out I know of. I hope this gives your readers a small flavor of this greatest of traditions. I urge you all to watch Sept 6th for this All Ireland final Galway vs KIlkenny. It will be a classic. GAILLIMH ABU (Up Galway)