Ireland sporting event? | The Boneyard

Ireland sporting event?

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Apologies up front; but, I wasn't sure where to plug this in as neither sport is an Olympic sport nor a major US league, so I dropped it here as there are more folks here with a 'global' interest than other categories.

I am off to Ireland for a few weeks with my better half for our x-teeenth anniversary. The calendar will not allow me to catch a game at Croke Park in Dublin; but, while staying in Kilarney for a few days exploring (Dingle Peninsula, Kilarney National Park, Skellig Micheal, etc.), I will have one night where I can catch either a Gaelic Hurling county playoff match or a Gaelic Football county playoff match. Which is the better sport to catch in-person?
 
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I was just in County Clare a couple months ago and there were a lot of ads about a huge hurling match.
I believe it was Clare vs Galway but I could be wrong.
I saw Irish hurling at Fenway on NESN a few months ago.
Seemed interesting to watch.
 

Fairfield_1st

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I'm in Dublin now, but not going to Croke Park tomorrow. I'd go to hurling because it's so different from anything else. But the best answer is go with whatever fits in your plans. Can't lose either way.
 

SubbaBub

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I'll take Gaelic Football over hurling. Hurling is attractive to Americans because it is wielding sticks that are occasionally used as weapons. Football is the better, easier sport to follow.
 
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Hurling, because it doesn't require much more gray matter to figure out or ask a local WTF is going on, involves wielding an ash hurley (stick) to hit a sliotar (ball) between the other phukkars' goal post for 3 points if hit past a goalie in a net under a cross bar or for 1 point if the sliotar goes over the cross bar. And, because a hurley's sometimes used to smack a hurting on a pharkin' opponent.

Other stuff: Rules regulating actions of the hurlers (athletes) might initially be a bit challenging to understand, but they're not so challenging to figure out. Example: Unless the sliotars are hit on the ground or hit or bounced in the air with the hurley, hurlers can't run more than 4 steps, and the sliotar can't be hit with a hand more than 2X in a hurler's single possession.

For either hurling or Gaelic football, read a little in advance, ask someone in your hotel or the local team's local pubs ahead of going to the stadium, etc. Always good to befriend someone who will likely enjoy sharing a few rules of the sports, a few pints, etc. Both are great sports, enjoy!
 
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Just as a follow-up, I went with Hurling. I was able to catch in-person at Dr. Crokes Park in Killarney the Intermediate (age 16-18) Kerry County Hurling between Kilgarvan and Causeway, which Kilgarvan won. Sat next to some Kilgarvan fans who helped us watch the game. A Cuaseway player even attached a Kilgarvan coach/trainer who was on the field for an injury with his Ash (stick) and wasn't even called for a foul or red carded (dismissed). That was a bit hard to explain, LOL.

This was very helpful the following day as the pubs were too crowded and boisterous to get an explication of anything during the All-Ireland Final. We stopped just outside Dingle (Quinn's Pub) for lunch and a few pints was we did not have enough time to make it into Dingle and find parking after spending the morning driving up and down Connor Pass (down in the fog was a bit freaky), a visit to Gallarus Oratory, and a drive around Slea Head Drive in the morning. The pub was packed (heard Dingle was much worse) with everyone watching the match between Limerick and two-time defending champs Galway for the All-Ireland Hurling Championship, i.e. Liam MacCarthy Trophy. The game was played in front of +80,000 fans at Croke Park in Dublin and watched by close to 75% of households in Ireland (the other 25% were likely in Pubs like us). It was a sloppy game at first before Limerick really started to put up points only for Galway to close the gap to 1 with 2 minutes left, which is how it ended - Limerick 3-16 (25) over Galway 2-18 (24). The game really turned at the end when a pair of Limerick players were injured (common issue in a sport where people fly all over the field, can tackle opponents like in rugby while swinging around baseball-sized wooden sticks like lax while only wearing helmets). Basically, its a point for hitting the sliotar (ball) with one's Ash up through the goal posts like rugby or football and its 3 for getting the sliotar by any means (throw, kick, hit with an Ash) into the lower net past the goalkeeper like in soccer. Overall, it was a fun game to watch and a great environment to be in.

Ironically, two days later, we stayed in Limerick to check out King John's Castle and to rest in a hotel (instead of B&B for once) on our way to the Cliffs of Moher the next day. Thus, we had a bird's eye view of the party going on in Limerick as the team presented to Liam MacCarthy Trophy just to the west of our hotel and then those 90,000 fans promptly marched past our hotel to celebrate in downtown Limerick after. I thought about going out to join the festivities; but, my wife and I were exhausted after our Skellig Micheal trip that day.
 
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The game really turned at the end when a pair of Limerick players were injured (common issue in a sport where people fly all over the field, can tackle opponents like in rugby while swinging around baseball-sized wooden sticks like lax while only wearing helmets).
Beautiful! Glad you enjoyed the games.
 

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