Being a complete hurling nerd, I often wondered how exactly a GAA map would look like if you denoted the hurling and football areas. Having done a bit of a search for just that, this was about the best map I could find, with all the others being very similar:

link

Having looked at it, a few interesting points came to mind:

- Why is hurling centred on such a dominant region, and makes little impact beyond that?
- Does terrain impact which code is played where
- Does it acknowledge any hurling areas in counties like Westmeath, Roscommon, Mayo, Derry, Donegal etc. as I always thought they had hurling pockets (Westmeath particularly).
- Also, does it fail to acknowledge any football areas withing the hurling stronghold? I always thought Waterford and Tipperary had strong footballing areas.
- Offaly did extremely well in the 80's and 90's, as their hurling area is relatively small.
- I did not realise Laois are a predominantly hurling county, if this map is to be believed.
- Clare and Cork have bigger footballing areas than I would have expected, but would population be much smaller?
- We've already discussed where Antrim and Down's hurling comes from, but WHERE did that hurling pocket in Kerry come from, as it is very isolated.

Any help with any questions would be greatly appreciated!

Treaty_Exile (Limerick) - Posts: 386 - 02/08/2013 13:25:57    1450648

...eh there's one very big ommission from that map - the 2013 All IReland winnersdon't feature at all

EastWallWayne (Dublin) - Posts: 26 - 02/08/2013 13:39:11    1450671

The greatest Hurler of all time came from the Wee County!

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 02/08/2013 13:41:08    1450673

EastWallWayne

I think you'll find they are East Wall. Your thinking of one of the losing semi finalists :)

07_LK_1973 (Limerick) - Posts: 115 - 02/08/2013 13:43:15    1450676

LK-1973....EastWall is right...we won't want you to ge going and changing your Username! :)

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 02/08/2013 14:01:18    1450706

Cheers treaty. AMAZIN THE way the hurling is so sparceley spaced. As a hurling fanatic It makes me think of two reasons
1. The people in footballing counties are too cheap to buy hurleys
2. The GAA have done f**k all to promote the game in non traditional areas.
A friend of mine from west kerry used to say.
"Sure if I came home with a hurley the father would ate me for spending €15:00 on a piece of wood.

Fishermantom (Limerick) - Posts: 569 - 02/08/2013 14:12:29    1450723

Treaty, RTE did a programme on the history of hurling and my recollection (missed about 10 mins of it)is that hurling was kept alive by the English aristocracy when each of the big estates played against each other, sometimes for days on end. It was suggested there was a correlation with large expanses of good farmland and with hurling strongholds.

Tim_Burr (Down) - Posts: 460 - 02/08/2013 14:13:19    1450725

The exception being the Glens of Antrim Tim Burr.

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 02/08/2013 14:17:49    1450732

Doesn't explain the survival in the Glens though Tim_Burr as there were no English Aristocrats/Estates up there keeping it alive nor was the farmland good (which is why there were no planters in the Glens Area).

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 02/08/2013 14:18:05    1450733

East Hall, Limerick are on the map. The 2013 Runners-up, Dublin, are not.

Fishermantom, that's more than likely true. And Tim_Burr, I think that's a good point. I notice that a lot of football seems to be in areas where land may not be as good as in hurling areas?

Treaty_Exile (Limerick) - Posts: 386 - 02/08/2013 14:18:57    1450737

Lads im not arguing re glens or any other strong pockets, I did say I missed some of the programme and their assertion may or may not be accurate re farm lands - it was an interesting programme though.

Tim_Burr (Down) - Posts: 460 - 02/08/2013 14:27:14    1450748

witnof

LOL We'll see. If ye are to go on and win it I wouldn't begrudge ye in the slightest. I would love nothing more than a Limerick Dublin final as I think it would be unreal for hurling if either county.

07_LK_1973 (Limerick) - Posts: 115 - 02/08/2013 14:31:07    1450752

That map leaves out quite a number of hurling pockets in places like Donegal, Fermanagh, Westmeath, Roscommon, Mayo, Meath, Wicklow and even Dublin where the game was played in parts of the county in the late 18th century and perhaps later.

It also includes Cork City where, as in Dublin City, the game was introdudced by people moving into the city from rural areas - east Cork in the case of Cork City I assume. Same applies to Belfast. So how is urban Cork a traditional hurling locale but not Dublin and Belfast?

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 02/08/2013 14:35:50    1450756

This is a topic I've always been very interested in.

"hurling was kept alive by the English aristocracy when each of the big estates played against each other"
I think Anglo-Irish gentry is the more correct term.

If you look at the hurling areas in my neighbouring counties, Westmeath (region stretches into the Meath hurling area too) & Roscommon they are struggling with competition from football. Hurling clubs can amalgamate into a decent junior or intermediate football club & achieve success relatively easily. This doesn't happen in football areas & so there are almost new hurling clubs being set up in either county.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4105 - 02/08/2013 14:37:04    1450757

I think it's reflecting the modern day hurling region, as opposed to anything historical.

Treaty_Exile (Limerick) - Posts: 386 - 02/08/2013 14:37:55    1450761

"hurling was kept alive by the English aristocracy when each of the big estates played against each other"
I think Anglo-Irish gentry is the more correct term.

Mere semantics Keeper even though most of the matches were organised for the visiting English landowners, families and friends who came for their summer break.

Tim_Burr (Down) - Posts: 460 - 02/08/2013 15:01:40    1450795

Carlow are doing pretty well in the hurling at the moment. It's a tiny county, about the size of some peninsulas around the country, and their hurling area would appear to be about a fifth of the county on the Kilkenny and Wexford borders. We're surely talking about only a few parishes? Where are the hurling areas in Donegal, Westmeath, Meath, Derry etc?

Treaty_Exile (Limerick) - Posts: 386 - 02/08/2013 15:01:50    1450796

Treaty_Exile
County: Limerick
Posts: 139

1450737
East Hall, Limerick are on the map. The 2013 Runners-up, Dublin, are not.

Fishermantom, that's more than likely true. And Tim_Burr, I think that's a good point. I notice that a lot of football seems to be in areas where land may not be as good as in hurling areas?
_________________________
I'll have you know, we in Tyrone are extremely fertile!

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 02/08/2013 15:02:55    1450799

brendtheredhand
County: Tyrone
Posts: 7888

1450799
Treaty_Exile
County: Limerick
Posts: 139

1450737
East Hall, Limerick are on the map. The 2013 Runners-up, Dublin, are not.

Fishermantom, that's more than likely true. And Tim_Burr, I think that's a good point. I notice that a lot of football seems to be in areas where land may not be as good as in hurling areas?
_________________________
I'll have you know, we in Tyrone are extremely fertile!

Not in any way trying to offend anyone :P was more in reference to areas in the South, don't know much about land in the North!

Treaty_Exile (Limerick) - Posts: 386 - 02/08/2013 15:09:12    1450811

In Derry the clubs are scattered through the county. It's probably leading sport in Dungiven but its under pressure from Gaelic football and soccer. Before formation of gaa hurling was played mainly in the city and its adjoining hinterland ie burt in Donegal. There were frequent games between city teams and Burt teams pre formation of gaa

christy sting (Derry) - Posts: 262 - 02/08/2013 15:10:48    1450813