Hurling: A Sport, Not Just What Americans Do After Trying to Keep Up With Irish Drinkers

Today was the day of the Hurling Championship Final, in which Galways was competing against Kilkenny! Now I (like you I’m sure) had no idea what hurling was before today. The best way I can explain it is that it is a combination of rugby, lacrosse, football, soccer, baseball, field hockey, and golf. And that it is freakin’ awesome. They only wear helmets, which was a rule instated only a few years ago. Other than that it’s just a ball, a combination lacrosse stick/bat, and a soccer goal/football post. The players get three points if they score it past the goalie in the net, or one point if they get it over the net and through the goal post. They can hold the ball for three steps, then they either have to cradle it in their stick or bat it to another player. I saw a guy take a hurling stick to the shin, no shin pads, and he just got back up and kept running. Now that’s manly. The group of us went to Monroe’s pub at one o’clock to get good seats for the game at 3:30. It's not as intense as our Superbowl, but more akin to the World Series, so we wanted to get their early. We were split between three tables and surrounded by two flat screen TVs. I sat next to two Irish guys named Chris and Kevin, who were explaining the rules of hurling. It seemed very complicated and very confusing to me, but they assured me that it would make sense once I started watching the game. At three o’clock, it was getting really crowded (thank goodness we got a table early!) and the TV station was playing highlights from the season. I decided that it would be a good idea to get a drink, you know, to get in the spirit of Ireland and all that stuff. I got a pint of Bulmer’s Irish Cider and returned to my seat. Once the game got started, everyone was immediately into it. Galway took the lead pretty quickly and there was nothing but cheers from the people in the bar. I got up and got a second cider after my first, and by the second half, I was really feeling it. When Kilkenny tied up the game, I slammed my fist against the table. Chris asked me, “Why do you care? It’s not even your country.” To which I heartily proclaimed, “I would die for Ireland!” much to the laughter of those around me. The second half ended on a tie, and all of the Americans were pumped up for overtime. However, much to our dismay, they Irish don’t do overtime for some reason. Instead, the next game would be held in three weeks, and we’d have to wait till then. Go Galway!!

P.S. If anyone is interested in seeing what all the fuss is about, the full game can be found here!