It makes me laugh that 75% of the country prefer football to hurling and no matter how hard I think I cannot see why!!!
Hurling is a fast paced, high scoring game of tremendous skill and bravery.... Football is a slow dogged, dour battle with fewer scores and far less excitement....

I think we only have to look outside Ireland to see the real truth... I have lived in 3 different countries and every time I showed the locals hurling they were amazed at this skilful, fast game they had never seen... they couldnt compare it to anything...

When I showed them football they were just like... ah its rugby with a round ball, or soccer with your hands... werent impressed by it atal...

Personally I think every kid in Ireland should be taken to hurling training by their parents... and the ones who arent able to play should be tossed a football!!

Iomaint abu!

S Man (Limerick) - Posts: 229 - 08/01/2009 12:33:40    175695

Totally agree S Man. Nearly gotten to the stage where I cannot watch football although still go to Dubs matches out of habit or masochism perhaps!

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 08/01/2009 12:48:56    175714

It makes you laugh?? Your easily amused big lad, Will Farrell makes me laugh....

Tyr08 (Tyrone) - Posts: 435 - 08/01/2009 12:52:43    175725

Agree wth you S Man, Hurling is a far superior game,but we already know that,its the brainwashed misfortunes who've never had the pleasure of our national game that i feel sorry for,at least i've played both and it was easy to decide after that which is more exciting and after the year i just put down at club level its no contest,hurling is God.

eastgael (Limerick) - Posts: 629 - 08/01/2009 13:05:38    175741

football is a yawnfest compared to hurling. prefer a good oul junior b hurling match to any intercounty football.

inaroundahouse (Limerick) - Posts: 21 - 08/01/2009 13:29:31    175760

Hurling is too hard, football is easy enough to pick up. simple as that really

paddyogall (Mayo) - Posts: 5110 - 08/01/2009 13:41:03    175769

I have tried but I can not ignore this thread. For one, we have had over and over again so it is nothing new.

I have to say, first of all, that I much prefer hurling. However, I believe that we have two great games. I play and coach both and enjoy both. I for one think that non-dual clubs are the ones that are missing out.

You are right when you say that every child should be brought to a hurling match, I would say bring them to the football too.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 08/01/2009 13:53:25    175782

Amen!!!

Praise the Hurl!

Hag_and_Cheese (Tipperary) - Posts: 6103 - 08/01/2009 14:05:54    175794

hurling is the better sport by far. theres a lot more excitment in the game rather than football.

steviewonder (Wexford) - Posts: 147 - 08/01/2009 16:43:13    175856

While I agree with most of your statments, the 75% prefering football I m not sure. Fact is that if your county is good at playing like chess then thats what will be supported even though deep down they would perfer something else. The tv viewing figures always suggest that hurling is as popular if not more popular for entertainmet. Just a pity a few more counties dont get stuck into it. When Clare came good back in '92 at the football the whole county got behind them and it was great fun but the real love is and always will be hurling.

ZUL10 (Clare) - Posts: 708 - 08/01/2009 17:15:06    175898

S man - Hallieliua!!!

As i said months ago here, I was lucky enough to attend Waterford v Tipperary last year and was sitting beside Americans one side and English the other side. We were chatting away and helping them with the rules, the scoring system (which was as far as they got in the rule book to be honest!!) but they were in awe at the skill, the control, the bravery, the commitment, the sportsmanship, and most of all - the AMATEUR status - of these players. As well as the fans sitting mixed in with each other and no trouble between them. And what better game could they have went to than that one - game of the year.

The yanks said they had seen football the previous week (dont know who was playing) and the english had seen it on TV, they all thought it was OK but they said that hurling was a truly magical game.

I was a proud hurling man that day as i have ever been and will continute to drill it into my Under 8 team in my club!!!

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 08/01/2009 17:18:10    175905

Everyone is entitled to their opinion.....what makes ME laugh is that all hurling people talk this way as if this is a proven fact certainly a top class game of hurling is some spectacle which are few and far between and only a few teams are capable of producing them but have you ever watched a game between 2 bad hurling teams ??

chainsaw (Laois) - Posts: 712 - 08/01/2009 17:42:50    175944

they are two great games and i love playing both but i hate the football hurling divide which exists in clubs

hipster (Dublin) - Posts: 2509 - 08/01/2009 17:55:34    175966

Tyr08
County: Tyrone
Posts: 141

175725
It makes you laugh?? Your easily amused big lad, Will Farrell makes me laugh....

Who's this Will Farrell...what films is he in?!!

Ar.an.talamh (Kildare) - Posts: 320 - 08/01/2009 18:31:19    176007

IMO hurling is by far the better game but thats not to say i dont enjoy football too. However this years football championship was dire, the basics skills of kicking & catching have gone out of the game replaced with an emphasis on fitness and endless hand passing, along with players diving and faking injuries. Hopefully the new rules will help improve the standard.

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4649 - 08/01/2009 18:50:48    176027

"was a proud hurling man that day as i have ever been and will continute to drill it into my Under 8 team in my club!!! "

Careful!!, With a name like "Pinkie", you could get a reputation!

curious George (Offaly) - Posts: 861 - 08/01/2009 18:50:58    176028

This has all been argued about before. We can go around in circles forever.

We seem to equate high scoring games with excitement (and low scoring games with excrement ?).

I have great time for both codes but think hurling requires a greater level of skill.

RAM85 (Westmeath) - Posts: 978 - 08/01/2009 19:23:31    176048

In reply to Chainsaw... I have seen a game between 2 bad hurling teams....many times in fact. And even at that i would choose going to watch them everytime over any football game, regardless of weather the teams are good, bad, average, club or county. It dosent matter, any game of hurling has far more entertainment and skill than even the best game of football.

And in response to the Mayo man who thinks Hurling is too hard!!!! if thats your attitude, its no wonder Mayo are useless.

God Bless the small ball. The greatest game the world has ever seen.

wing back (Offaly) - Posts: 116 - 08/01/2009 19:25:17    176052

Chainsaw motivated me to contribute.

I have PLAYED hurling for bad sides, and very often watch two bad sides playing hurling.

With all due respect to my "family" club, Rossa in Belfast, and St John's, I think it would be fair to say that they are not great sides.

However I ventured to Casement Park this year to watch them play in the first round of the county championships. It was absolute great enjoyment. Four or five all in riots, a few sent off, and the underdogs, Rossa, triumphant.

Now the "skill" factor may not have scaled Olympian heights, but it still exceeded the skill factor in the best football match I saw last year, Kerry V Galway. There is a simple explanation for this. Hurling is by far a more skilful game, ergo two "bad" sides are going to have more skill than the best football side.

Hurling is the sport of the Gods, let us drink nectar on the sideline, and feast on manna from the heavens above as we enjoy its spectacle. Hurling is the undisputed king of field sports.

To conclude, many people have different reasons as to being proud to be Irish. I am grateful to have been born in Ireland simply to enjoy watching hurling, no more, no less. My heart goes out to those unfortunate foreigners who have never seen hurling, or perhaps never even heard of it.

My heart breaks when I think of those fortunate enough to be born here, and yet unfortunate enough not to appreciate the glory that is hurling.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 08/01/2009 20:30:52    176082

Hurling when it is played right cannot be beat

TyroneThomas (Tyrone) - Posts: 7 - 08/01/2009 20:57:26    176107