Pastimes in Southern Ireland

Pastimes (sports, games, hobbies, etc.)

  

We can found many pastimes and sports in Ireland.

In 1884, there was a period of social decay of Irish culture and tradition. The revitalization of the traditional values was manifested in sports, mainly through the founding of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). Before this, athletics in Ireland was controlled by the English Amateur Athletics Association founded in 1880, which excluded the common man from all British athletic competition. Maurice Davin and Michael Cuzack were the two Irishmen who signed a letter that became of historical importance to preservation of national pastimes.

In January of 1885, the first codes of rules were adopted for the games of hurling, football, weight throwing, jumping, running, walking and cycling. Clubs started to form throughout the country and the idea of national sports had its come back.

Until the First World War, there were two governing bodies that controlled athletics in Ireland, mainly because of political situations of that period. Since the foundation of the Irish Free State in 1922, a one national controlling body was formed.

The revival of these national sports was not only an Irish thing, but abroad as well, particularly in the US where the majority of the Irish emigrant travelled during the 19^th century. In fact, The New York Times published an article in 1902 on interest in old Irish sports that mostly included hurling. It was said that a championship match was played at Celtic Park, Long Island City, on Thanksgiving Day.

The New York Irish Athletic Association wanted to form a league of hurling teams that would include other ancient games and pastimes. The new introduction of these games gave a glance of the times they were played and also the culture of the local Irish inhabitants. The natives also enjoyed these games and pastimes very much, as people do today. Some of the legends say that Lugaluh Lamhfada, who ascended to throne approximately 1.500 years BC, constructed a permanent memorial of the athletic proclivities of his countrymen that has survived the following 3.500 years. Irish hurling game is very old. Hurling reflects the temperament of the Gaels, with the most braves attacks on enemy players carrying bats that could crash skulls.

Let’s take a look at Gaelic football and hurling:

Gaelic football is commonly known as football, Gaelic or Gah. The game supposedly comes from the game of Caid, an ancient Irish football originated from medieval times. The game is aggressive and fast, it is a sport of close contact between players. It is very similar to rugby. The game consists of two teams, with 15 players each, and the aim is to get the ball through the goal. The goal looks like a rugby goal. The pointing system is organized in a way that a goal below the crossbar worths 3 points and a goal over the bar gets one point for the team that scored. While having the ball, the players can kick or hand-pass the round ball that looks like a soccer ball, only heavier. Players are allowed to carry the ball through the field and drop it into their feet and then kick it up into the hands again, this movement is called soloing. The ball is made of animal skin with horizontal stitching and when kicked with the hands this sport resembles volleyball, because one strikes the ball with the side of the closed fist. Everybody can enjoy playing this sport, from the minors to the pensioners. The play lasts for one hour, two halftimes of 30 minutes each, except for the children under 12 years who play for 40 minutes. The grass pitch is rectangularly shaped with 130-145 m length and 80-90 m width. Again, for under 12-year-olds, the field is smaller. This game is played on the county level and the highest point of this competition is the All-Ireland final, taking place at Croke Park, Dublin, in September.

There is also a female version of Gaelic football, called Ladies Gaelic football. It is very similar but with slight differences like: the all can be pick up directly from the ground, goals can be scored by hand, the playing time is shorter and the game is less violent. This game becomes more and more popular not just in the country, but at the international level as well, particularly in those countries where the Irish immigration has meaningful numbers (North America, Canada).

Hurling is a game that is primarily played in Ireland. It has its roots in prehistoric times and is considered to be a more beautiful sport than Gaelic football. This is an outdoor team sport. It is considered the fastest game in the world, in terms of game play. Hurling is pretty much similar to Gaelic football in the number of players, field organization, and terminology, but it is played in a different manner. Players carry, kick or hand-pass the ball with the flat wooden stick called hurley or camán. Besides the stick, the ball, called slíothar, is far much smaller than the one used in Gaelic football. The players cannot carry the ball in their hands more than four steps, after that, they can walk on and balance the ball in the wooden stick. The rules of the game and the pointing system are almost the same as in the Gaelic football and the aim of the game is to set the score avoiding the goalkeeper. Side to side shouldering is allowed, but not charging them, because they do not wear any protective clothes besides their plastic helmets. A helmet is not obligatory if the players are over 18 years. Players are referred to by their names and also by the name of their country. The main competitions are All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, National Hurling League, All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship, and All-Ireland minor Hurling Championship.

Camogie is the women’s variant of hurling. It was first organized in 1904 by the Camogie Association of Ireland. Rules of the game are pretty much alike to hurling, but with few differences: shorter stick, shorter playing time, hand-passing the score and dropping the ball to hand-pass it are allowed. Counties compete to win the O’Duffy Cup and the All-Ireland final takes place at Croke Park (Dublin), during September, usually between Gaelic football and hurling competitions.

Handball, it is also another known Irish sport, sometimes called the Irish handball, court handball, alley handball or Wall handball, is a sport of ancient origins and is governed by the GAA. It is not the same as Olympic handball, it resembles more to squash, for the ball is kicked to the wall. The game can be played with two, three or four players whose aim is to kick the ball with their hands, left or right, depending on where the ball is hit and where it comes back from the wall. Players wear gloves, they do not have racquets, and that’s what makes this game even more difficult than squash or racquetball. The scoring system works in a way that the one who serves and plays wins points, while the other one cannot win any points, only the right to serve. The earliest written record of this game can be found in the town statues of Galway (in 1527), which prohibited playing the ball against the city walls. The game also has its world championship, which is organized every three years with the representatives of all age groups and gender.

Rounders is a team sport that originates from England, from the ancient game known as stool ball. The game is regulated by the GAA in Ireland and by the National Rounders Association in Great Britain. Both countries have different, although similar game rules and traditions, and the games between them differ in codes. The game is played between two teams who alternate in batting and fielding. The match starts at inning where one team attempts to score, while the other team’s players try to find out their tactics and ruin their game. At one time, in fielding position can be maximum nine players and the points are won when the batting team completes the circuit around the field with four bases without being put out (the reason for the name rounders). This game has the same historical roots as baseball or softball, although literary records show baseball to be older. In Ireland, rounders is played with the same ball as hurling and players use sticks of the same shape as baseball sticks. This game is considered to be a school game, but it has also achieved an international success, being played in Canada, England, Scotland, Wales and most recently in Pakistan.

Talking about pastimes, fishing is a favourite pastime in Ireland, when many Irish enjoy the crystal clear rivers and streams in search of a variety of fish species. A great diversity of thousands of lakes, rivers and canals give many opportunities to those who enjoy this calming sport or recreation. It is not just the variety of fish that attracts many fishermen from all over the world to one of the best fishing destinations in Europe, it is the quality as well. The possibilities that Ireland’s fishing offers are many - one can enjoy coarse fishing, sea fishing, pike fishing, trout flyfishing or salmon fishing. Irish fishermen prefer coarse fish, freshwater species other than salmon and trout, but the rest of the magnificent species are mostly angled by thousands of tourists who come to the island in search of fishing holidays.

Ireland’s national sports are played today with pride and joy at any time and by anyone. What is important here is the Irish spirit.

Today, Gaelic games are the most popular games in Ireland in terms of supporter attendances at senior games. Despite an economic downturn, attendances in 2009 were up 11% on 2008.