In our previous show, we explored some beautiful cultural traditions and culture of Ireland known across the world. In today’s Culture Rendezvous, our guest MH, a former student of Cork Institute of Technology in Cork City, Ireland, is back to share with us more about another Irish cultural highlight landmark - Hurling.

Welcome back, MH. We loved your story about Cork City and The Irish Pub in the other show and today we’d love to hear more from you about Irish sports, especially Hurling, one of the oldest field games in the world with the first literary reference dating back to 1272 BC.

MH: Hello everybody. It’s great to be back on today’sthe show. Talking about sports in Ireland, it would not be complete if we don’t mention Hurling, a very uniquely Irish gamesport. Hurling is one of the world’s oldest few sports and has been played in some forms in Ireland for more than 800 years. I think some people often compare hurling to hockey. But other than the fact both games involve a stick and a ball, there’s no similarities. Some other people have called hurling  a mixture ofbetween hockey and war.

So what are there in the uniquely Irish gamewhat’s involved in Hurling? Can you tell us more about the game?

MH: The curved wooden stick with a flat end is known as a hurl or hurley, and is made from a single piece of wood, traditionally Ash. The lower end, or blade, is flat on both sides. Mmetal bands are often used around the blades, as on the left, to stop the wood from splitting. The ball, or sliothar [say: shlit-her] is about the size of a tennis ball and is made of leather, covered with raised ridges where the leather is stitched. Hurling is an amateur game and is played only by men (or boys). A similar game, Camogie, is played only by women.

So how Hurling is played?

MH: Games are played by two opposing teams of 15 players each. The object is to get the sliothar intopast the opponent’s goalpost. The goalpost is H shaped, with a net under the cross post. If the sliothar goes over the post, a point is scored, if it goes under the post and into the net a goal, which is worth, three points, is are scored.

Players are allowed to strike the ball in the air, even above head height, as well as on the ground. When the ball is on the ground it cannot be handled but it can be lifted from the ground using the hurley, to be either caught in the hand or struck.

Once caught in the hand a player can carry the ball for no more than three paces, but is allowed to balance it on the blade of the hurley while running. As well as striking the ball with the hurley, players can kick the ball or strike it with their hand. An impressive hurling skill is the ability to bounce or balance the ball on the hurl while running at full speed before finally flipping it high into the air and whacking it over or under the cross bar.

Is it possible for players to tackle in Hurling?

MH: Tackling is allowed and although it is not permitted to hit another player with the hurley it can happen in the heat of play and protective helmets are now commonly worn.