Florida v Georgia Irish hurling match
July 22, 2010Contact: Scott Graves
407-352-2412
orlando.florida.gaa.ie
[email protected]
The fastest game on grass will be played on Saturday, July 24th at St. Simon's Island Georgia when the Irish Sport of Hurling will be on display featuring a team from Florida taking on a team from Georgia.
The Orlando Hurling Club will take on the Augusta Hurling Club in a first ever meeting between the two sides. It is hoped that this will become an annual clash between the two sides.
Who: The Central Florida Gaelic Sports Inc Orlando Hurling Club v Augusta Hurling Club
What: Competitive 7-a-side hurling match followed by a fun match (mix up players on teams) and/or a hurling clinic.
When: Sat. July 24, 2010
Start Time: 9 am
End Time : 10:30 am
Where: Demere Park, St. Simon's Island Georgia.
Why: To promote the sport of hurling
Admission is free and spectators are encouraged to bring a lawn chair.
Hurling has been described variously as 'field hockey in the air,' 'brutal field hockey,' 'like lacross but with solid sticks' etc. None of these descriptions really do the game justice. To truly get a feel for the spirit of the sport requires that you see it in action. It exhibits a unique combination of skill, athleticism, stamina and speed that few sports can match. It is acknowledged as the fastest field game on earth. It has the speed and continuous flowing action of ice hockey but on grass.
It is played with a long curved stick similar to a field hockey stick but with a broader and flat end which allows the player to control the ball in the air as well as on the ground. It is made of ashwood which has just the right properties that allow the stick to flex up to a certain point. Hurling is believed to be the world'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. It features in Irish folklore to illustrate the deeds of heroic mystical figures and it is chronicled as a distinct Irish pastime for at least 2,000 years.
The stick, or "hurley" (called camán in Irish) is curved outwards at the end, to provide the striking surface. The ball or "sliotar" is similar in size to a hockey ball but has raised ridges.
Hurling is played on a pitch that can be up to 145m long and 90m long. The goalposts are similar to those used on a rugby pitch, with the crossbar lower than in rugby and slightly higher than a soccer one.
You may strike the ball on the ground, or in the air. Unlike hockey, 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 are forbidden to catch the ball 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 end (the buss) is usually slightly bigger on a goalkeeper's stick.
We are a Florida non-profit business at the moment with the formal name: Central Florida Gaelic Sports Inc.
Our email address:
[email protected] Tweet
