Ancient Sports
Gaelic Football, Hurling and Camogie are Ireland’s national treasures.
HURLING AND CAMOGIE
Hurling is for boys as Camogie(KA-MO-GEE) is for girls with a few variations.
The objective of the game is for players to use a wooden stick called a hurley to hit a small ball called a sliotar between the opponent’s goal posts either over the crossbar for one point, or under the crossbar into a net guarded by a goalkeeper for one goal, which is equivalent to three points. The sliotar can be caught in the hand and carried for not more than four steps, struck in the air, or struck on the ground with the hurley. It can be kicked, or slapped with an open hand (the hand pass) for short-range passing. A player who wants to carry the ball for more than four steps has to bounce or balance the sliotar on the end of the stick, and the ball can only be handled twice while in his possession.
GAELIC FOOTBALL
The objective of the sport is to score by kicking or punching the ball into the other team’s goals (3 points) or between two upright posts above the goals and over a crossbar above the net (1 point).
Players advance the football, a spherical leather ball, up the field with a combination of carrying, bouncing, kicking, hand-passing, and soloing (dropping the ball and then toe-kicking the ball upward into the hands).
The game is now played all over the world, and is growing in popularity every year. The sport has been played in the United States ever since Irish emigrants first came to its shores. To learn more check out the GAA Football and Ladies Gaelic Football Association websites.