Gaelic Sports

By Caroline

                                                     

 Hurling

 
Hurling is another cool sport which is offered for weekend societies at Radley College. It is an outdoor team game with a long tradition, it has been played for over 3,000 years. It is one of Ireland’s native Gaelic games. For playing Hurling you need a stick, made of wood, which is called a Hurley and a ball, called a slitter. The ball is similar to a baseball. It can be hit with the hurley or with your hand. For their safety the players (“hurlers”) wear a helmet. But there are some rules that you have to observe: you are not allowed to pick up the ball directly off the ground or to run more than four steps with the ball in your hand. The object of the game is to score as many goals as you can by hitting the slitter with the hurley. That is not always easy because there is a goalkeeper who guards the goal. Hurling is played all over the world but only Ireland has a national team.

Yesterday, we tried out Hurling with two teachers. In the beginning we did some basic exercises to practice our hand-eye coordination. Everyone had to flick up the ball with the hurley and catch it. Later we started to hit the ball in the air, it was not easy but it was great fun. I can only recommend choosing Hurling at weekend societies