Ex-Galway, Laois, Antrim and Waterford seniors in our 2014 USA hurling sanctions XV

A mixture of emerging hurling talent and players with inter-county experience have made the move Stateside for the summer.

WE’VE ALREADY PICKED the best fifteen players who will be playing their football in the States this summer, after they appeared in the GAA’s official New York, North American and J1 sanctions list.

Now it’s the turn for the hurling side with a mixture of emerging talent and players with inter-county experience that have made the move Stateside.

1. James Skehill (Galway)

Galway’s goalkeeper for the 2012 All-Ireland senior hurling final, Skehill has also won All-Ireland medals at U21 and minor level. The Cappataggle club man will be lining out for the Galway club in Boston this summer.

Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO

2. Matthew Collier (Laois)

A member of the Camross club, Collier was in action in Parnell Park in May when Laois exited the Bord Gáis Energy Leinster U21 hurling championship at the hands of Dublin. He’s going to play for San Francisco’s Na Fianna this summer.

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

3. Jerome Maher (Waterford)

Maher, from the Geraldines club in Waterford, lined out in defence for the county senior side in championship in 2011 when Davy Fitzgerald was at the helm. He caught the eye during the spring with his performances for Waterford IT as they won the Fitzgibbon Cup. He’s made the move to the Na Fianna club in San Francisco.

Source: Cathal Noonan

 4. Cahir Healy (Laois)

Healy was in action for the Laois senior hurlers as recently as last summer and is pictured in action below against Clare’s Colm Galvin in the All-Ireland senior qualifiers. The Portlaoise player will feature for Fr Tom Burke’s hurling club in Dorcester in Boston this summer.

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

5. Paul Hoban (Galway)

Hoban was part of the Galway senior panel that contested the 2012 All-Ireland final and has featured in the league for Anthony Cunningham’s side in recent seasons. He played for the county U21 team beaten by Clare in last August’s All-Ireland semi-final and with his club Loughrea in the 2013 Galway county senior final. Hoban is set to play for Naomh Pádraig in San Francisco.

Source: Mike Shaughnessy

6. Joe O’Dwyer (Tipperary)

The Killenaule club man was centre-back on the Waterford IT side that claimed Fitzgibbon Cup glory against Cork IT in Belfast back in March. He’s switched to the Harry Bolands club in Chicago this summer.

Source: Presseye/Declan Roughan/INPHO

7. Paul Flaherty (Galway)

A member of the Abbeyknockmoy club in Galway, Flaherty was part of the Tribesemen minor setup that swept to All-Ireland glory in 2011. This year he lined out in defence for Davy Fitzgerald’s Limerick IT team that reached the semi-finals of the Fitzgibbon Cup. He’s transferred to the Tipperary club in Boston.

Source: James Crombie

8. Mark Mansfield (Kilkenny)

The Mullinavat club man lined out for the Kilkenny U21 hurler’s last month when they exited the Bord Gáis Energy Leinster U21 championship at the hands of Wexford. He scored 0-2 in that game from midfield but will be in action for the Wexford side in Boston this summer.

Source: Cathal Noonan/INPHO

9. James Regan (Galway)

Regan is a very experienced operator having won an All-Ireland U21 medal with Galway in 2011 and an All-Ireland senior club medal with St Thomas in 2013. He’s played senior for the Tribesmen as well and featured in the 2012 and 2013 championships. The Galway club in Boston can call on his services for the next couple of months.

Source: Cathal Noonan/INPHO

10. Michael Moloney (Kilkenny)

The Blacks and Whites clubman has impressed in recent seasons with his free taking abilities for Dublin IT in the Fitzgibbon Cup. He has also represented Kilkenny at U21 and intermediate level in recent years. He’ll be playing for the Wexford club from Boston this summer.

Michael Moloney (left) in action for Dublin IT in the Fitzgibbon Cup.

Source: Lorraine O'Sullivan/INPHO

11. Keith Hogan (Kilkenny)

Hogan was part of the Kilkenny U21 squad that reached the 2009 All-Ireland final against Clare. Last October he hit the headlines with a superb exhibition of free taking that saw him notch 0-10 as his club Clara won the Kilkenny senior hurling final against Carrickshock. He has moved to New York club Long Island Gaels.

Source: Morgan Treacy/INPHO

12. Zane Keenan (Laois)

Keenan has plenty inter-county experience at various grades for Laois. The attacker, who is a native of Camross, will be in action for the Fr Tom Burke’s hurling club in Boston.

Source: Morgan Treacy/INPHO

13. Jack Shelly (Tipperary)

The Mullinahone club man was part of the Tipperary minor hurling side that won the All-Ireland final after a replay against Dublin in 2012. He’s transferred to New York side Long Island Gaels.

Source: Lorraine O'Sullivan/INPHO

14. Liam Watson (Antrim)

An experienced campaigner with the Antrim senior hurlers, Watson also won an AIB All-Ireland senior hurling club medal with Loughgiel Shamrocks in 2012 when he bagged 3-7 in their final win at Croke Park. He has switched to the Naomh Pádraig club in San Francisco.

Source: James Crombie/INPHO

15. Thomas O’Hanrahan (Kilkenny)

From the Thomastown club in Kilkenny, O’Hanrahan is another player to have played for the Cats U21′s when they lost their Leinster quarter-final against Wexford last month. Previously he won an All-Ireland minor medal with a final win over Clare in 2010. He’ll now be playing in the colours of the Galway club in Boston

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

Read The Original Article At score.ie Now

Hurling rules clarification proposes to ban 'Anthony Nash free'

Cork goalkeeper Anthony Nash has raised several green flags with his signature lifting style

The GAA's Management Committee has proposed clarification of the rules on penalties and 20m frees in hurling, which would mean the end of the 'Nash free'.

The recommendations would ensure that in most instances shots are taken from the full 20 metres out with no rushing the ball from defenders.

Controversy has arisen following the style of penalty/20m free pioneered by Cork goalkeeper Anthony Nash, whereby the ball is lifted forward several metres before striking towards goal.

Last Sunday, in an attempt to negate that advantage, Waterford goalkeeper Stephen O'Keefe charged from his line once Nash had lifted the ball and saved from close range.

The referee ruled that the ball was in play once Nash had lifted it and that O'Keefe was within his rights to advance, but there was controversy over whether lifting the ball counted as 'striking'.

The new clarifications proposed confirm that it is not and seek to stop defenders advancing from the goal-line while also forcing the attacking player to strike the ball no closer than 20 metres out.

The attacking player may still lift the ball forward before striking, but must bring the ball back from the line (up to seven metres) to do so.

Central Council is expected to rule on the proposed changes before the weekend.

GAA Statement in full:

The Management Committee of the GAA has asked Central Council to consider and adjudicate on the following recommendations for Interpretations of Rule in relation to the Playing Rules of Hurling 2.2 Exceptions (i) and (ii), 2.3, 2.5 and 4.16(b)

The terms “taken” or “retaken” in Rules 2.2 Exceptions (i) and (ii) and 2.3 shall mean the ball being “struck”.

A player taking a penalty or a 20m free puck, may bring the ball back up to seven metres from the 20m line for the purposes of making a traditional run at the ball, but shall strike the ball on or outside the 20m line but not inside it.

Exception: In the context of Rule 2.5, if a player taking a penalty or free puck on the actual 20m line fails to lift the ball at the first attempt or fails to strike it with the hurley, and that action causes the ball to marginally cross inside the 20m line, the player, as provided for in this Rule, shall be allowed to strike the ball on the ground without delay.

(a) The players defending a penalty or free puck awarded on the centre point of the 20m line shall stand on their goal-line and may not move towards the 20m line until the ball has been actually struck. ‘Lifting’ the ball with the hurley does not constitute ‘striking the ball’.

(b) The players defending a free puck awarded on the 20m line at a point other than on the centre point of that line shall stand a minimum of 20m from the point of award of the free and may not move closer to that point of award until the ball has been actually struck. ‘Lifting’ the ball with the hurley does not constitute ‘striking the ball’.

This Interpretation shall, in accordance with Rule 3.43, Official Guide Part 1, have the force of Rule until Congress 2015, when the issues will be further addressed by way of Motion(s).

Go to www.rte.ie for this and more news

Tipperary should be too hot for Limerick

Tipperary will be looking for a strong performance from Séamus Callanan when they take on Limerick in their Munster SHC semi-final in Thurles tomorrow. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho

Though we tend to see Tipp’s world through the lens of their meetings with Kilkenny, it’s Limerick who’ve been the canary in the coal mine for the past two seasons.

Just about getting away with a shoddy display in Thurles in 2012 was a portent of wobbly days to come; melting as the temperature rose in the Gaelic Grounds last year said nothing good about their chances in the subsequent qualifier against Kilkenny.

On both occasions, Limerick shook them and rattled them and generally made the needle slip the groove.

In last year’s game especially, the final 20 minutes boiled down to a very simple matter of who could win their own ball. In just about every battle for possession, the Tipp player was rocked on his heels. Limerick won that closing 20 minutes by 0-9 to 0-2.

Straight-forward

It can be argued, then, that Eamon O’Shea’s task coming in here is actually reasonably straight-forward.

Tipp have the better group of players and if their gameplan clicks and they create enough space for themselves, they ought to run up a total well out of Limerick’s reach.

But games take on a life of their own and if it comes down to a rassle in the dirt – and Limerick should make sure it does – O’Shea’s side will be in trouble unless enough of his players to refuse to be beaten in individual battles.

TJ Ryan’s first championship game as Limerick manager wasn’t supposed to arrive like this but the post-league doings are done now and his players have been making made all the right noises. He has shaken up the team a little from the one that beat Tipp last year – Séamus Hickey’s repatriation to corner back with Shane Dowling in from the start at wing forward suggests a mite more attacking emphasis.

Shoot-out

That said, you would imagine it’s probably not a great idea for Limerick to get drawn into a shoot-out.

A feature of last year was the totals that beat Tipperary weren’t huge – 1-18 for Limerick, 0-20 for Kilkenny. Limerick’s front six certainly has the guns for a decent score but then so do Tipp’s.

Make this game about a battle of big totals and it’s hard to see past O’Shea’s side. In fairness, it’s hard to see past them anyway. The lessons of the past two years must surely have been learned by now.

If this turns into a war, they can’t just rely on Bonner Maher – it’s not the kind of game Noel McGrath and Séamie Callanan thrive in but they’re big boys and Tipp need them to prove it. Do it now and it will stand to them for the rest of the summer.

Read More from the Irish Times Here

The Life Cycle of a Hurler

A hurler goes through many different stages from beginning to end. Most good hurling men and women are born with a stick in their hand and retire with one having been beaten across them repeatedly.

1

The Ball Starts Rolling (5-9 yrs old)

Right, so here you are – 5 years of age and the auld fella has you out in the back garden with a miniature hurl in the hopes that one day, you’ll be lording it for the county team. You’re holding the boss in one hand and propping it against your shoulder, while the other hand points the grip out like a sniper rifle, blasting a couple of birds from the sky. In vain, you’re being gently coaxed to clasp the stick correctly and strike the sliothar along the ground. After a few months of relentless bird-murder, you finally learn the basics of the game. You can now successfully lift the ball and strike it with little or no help. Good lad!

2

The Early Years (9-14 yrs old)

You’ve been sent to hurling camps for the past few summers and you’re now ready to join a team. Typically, you first get involved with the local primary school side and then your local club, where you’re not properly judged until you get up to the under 14s. This stage is vital, as in most cases it defines your role for the rest of your career. Will you be the Talisman, the Try Hard or the Super Sub? Or maybe you’ll just be the Useless F*cker they throw on for a few pity pucks when either giving or getting a hammering. Here, you discover that not everyone is as patient as your parents have been and are introduced to the kind of people that will be forcibly removed from countless matches in the future. You’ll also discover what may become one of your biggest enemies: nepotism. You may not be the Talisman, but you’re still better than the manager’s son who keeps getting on ahead of you, and has the hand/eye co-ordination you'd normally associate with someone full of jagobombs. In any case, once you leave the under 14s, it starts to get serious!

3

The Road to Glory (14-16 yrs old)

By now, you’ve established where you stand within the team. While your position may change quite often (midfield, centre back etc.), only the very fortunate can change their role. So, if you’re currently the Useless F*cker, you’ll most likely be stuck there until the end of your days. That is, of course, unless you are a “late developer” and by some miracle starting plucking balls from the sky or arrowing them over the bar. Either way, it isn’t too late to save yourself but it is highly unlikely that you will. Once you know where you stand, you move onto the next stage of your career.

4

The Burning Enthusiasm (16-18 yrs old)

Hurling, hurling and more hurling. You’ve settled into the Minor team, but you’re not 18 yet so you haven’t (fully) discovered the wonders of beer aside from the occasional flagon in a field. The only thing you want to do is have a puck around with a few of the lads, train and play matches. Your thirst for the game has become unquenchable and regardless of your ability, you just love to hurl. The Leaving Cert is looming large, but you couldn’t care less. If only it there was a possibility of making a living from hurling!

5

The Minor Blip (18-23 yrs old)

Minor is over and you’re into the college years. You’re drinking like an absolute savage and have perfected the art of lying in such a manner that a woman might jump into bed with you. You have little or no interest in interrupting your drinking career for the sake of hurling. However, you know that hurling is keeping you (somewhat) in shape and therefore aiding your riding endeavours with the ladies. With this in mind, you do the bare minimum to stay on the Fresher’s panel and be somewhat fit enough to run around for 70 minutes. Once Fresher’s is over, the chances are you will not hurl for the college again. Instead, you return back to your local club once every 2 weeks for training and matches – just enough to keep your head above water while still being able to deepthroat pints three nights a week. You’re far from fit, but age is on your side so the legs have not yet gone.

6

The Peak Years (23-27 yrs old)

College is over and you’ve now settled into a full time job, or have gone on the dole for an extended period. Where you once jockeyed many fillies, you have now settled down with just the one. You neither have the time or money to drink like you did in college, so you decide to fill this gap with a renewed interest in the game you once loved. This stage, in theory, should be the most fruitful of all. You’re at your physical peak and you’re young enough to train off any pints drank over the weekend. Your commitment is at an all-time high and due to your drinking exploits during the Minor Blip, you have no problem missing a Saturday night session for a match on Sunday morning. Depending on your role, you could be the Great White Hope of the Senior team or scything through bodies with the Junior Bs. By now you’ve accepted your lot, so make the most of this time because it is all downhill from here!

7

The Gradual Decline (27-33 yrs old)

You’ve now peaked and the decline has begun. Both your physical prowess and commitment to the cause start to deteriorate through years of getting belted with lumps of wood and missing social occasions. The fiancée is nagging you because you keep fobbing off dinner at her parents’ house and the head wrecking is getting the better of you. You start by skipping the odd training session or match because of a Christening, the frequency of which start to progressively increase in line with your love of “the craic” and willingness to avoid an ear bashing from herself. Your legs are also starting to go; the blistering pace you once had has been replaced by a train-like ability to turn. You try to make amends for this by becoming “cuter” and limiting your movements during a game. You also become “dirtier”, and wield your hurl like an axe under the high ball. However, chasing around a fella in his early 20s just doesn’t seem worth it when you wake up with rigor mortis the next day. The end is nigh and you know it.

8

The Final Whistle (33-40 yrs old)

The shorts don’t fit as well anymore, the gut is visible from under the jersey and you now show up to most matches with a hangover sent from Satan himself. Priorities have changed and the “young lads” have come for you. If you were the Talisman, you’re probably a Super Sub now, or have regraded to the Junior team. For the Super Sub, you’re now most likely the Useless F*cker and have the match-saving ability of a potato. For the Useless F*cker, you’ve almost certainly become the new Water Boy. Occasionally, you hear rumours of your retirement but ignore them for as long as you can. You might not know it yet, but these have been created so as to give you an honourable departure from the club you’ve served for so long. If you don’t heed these rumours, you will most likely be forced out through passive-aggressive means; be it your 17 year old nephew getting the nod ahead of you, or being asked to play in goal after a career of outfield excellence. There’s a chance you might just venture into management, or become some way involved with one of the underage teams, but that rests on how deep your love for the game really goes. Inevitably, though, you will become one of the angry spectators you encountered in the Early Years and get escorted out of venues on a weekly basis.

So that’s it, the Life Cycle of a Hurler. Now go down to pitch and practice your frees, or head on to little Paddy’s Christening – up to yourself!

http://gaabanter.ie/life-cycle-hurler/

Has anyone ever thought Effin Eddie and Johnny Maher - both famous men in their own right would be on video together?

Here is a great little clip for your viewing.

Happy Hurling!

Hurling is a fast paced sport where 30 spirited Irishmen enthusiastically run around a field hurling a hard leather ball( a sliotar) at each other at speeds of up to 100 mph using carved Ash tree sticks (Caman's or Hurley's).

Just The Facts

1. The game is at least 2'000 years old.
2. It is the fastest field sport in the world.
3. To many outside of Ireland, the game seems absolutely batshit insane and is regularly used as evidence that Irish people are crazy.

Rules/Organisation 

 

Hurling is played with 15 men on each team over 2 halfs of 35 minutes each. Putting the ball over the bar of the goal and between two upright posts is equal to 1 point while placing it in the goal proper, is worth 3 points.

Hurling is an inherently dangerous and rough game. Players can expect to be tackled to the ground, wrestled, shoulder charged, slashed, hooked and pulled. Early games had a tradition of all players on the field, 42 in the early days, engaging in all-out wrestling matches at the final whistle. The use of helmets is encouraged but not required and most players will go without for many reasons. Practically, they limit the filed of vision from players but in reality many think it is more a matter of pride: after all you'd be kind off a pussy to wear a helmet when your opponent doesn't right?

New regulations introduced in 2010 have made the use of helmets mandatory on all levels. Rather then being grateful for the opportunity to protect themselves from 100 mph travelling bits of leather, numerous players have retired rather then be forced to wear what is, essentially, just a thin shield of plastic.

"The concussion sucks but at least I don't look like a pussy..."

Croke Park in Dublin is the home of hurling and is the largest non-soccer orientated stadium in Europe with an official capacity of 80'300. That's important to note as the largest attendance on record is over 90'000, proving that what would be a strict seating limit in most countries is taken only as a casual suggestion by most Irish people.

And its only used one third of the year too.

The striking of Caman against each other is called "The Clash of the Ash" after the tree that the sticks are made from. Such strikes invariably end with the two objects smashing to pieces and sending sharp shards of wood flying in every direction because the game just isn't dangerous enough already.

One of the key drawing points of Hurling is its amateur status at every level. Every player, manager, coach and official takes part without pay or wages. All players have "real" jobs, often coming from the Agriculture, Army or Garda professions (because those jobs just aren't stressful enough.) As such Hurling is viewed as a more pure sport where the participants really are playing for the glory of their county rather then monetary reward.

FOR THE GLORY!

History

Hurling's origins go back over 3'000 years and is thought to have been first played by the migrating Celts. The mythical Irish hero Cu Chulainn gained his name by hurling a sliotar down the throat of the hound of Culann. He is also said to have been able to defeat entire teams by himself.

Cu Chulainn: Hurling's first showboater

A law passed in Galway in the 16th century said, "At no time to use ne occupy ye hurling of ye litill balle with the hookie sticks or staves, nor use no hand balle to play without the walls, but only the great foot balle" showing the English not only recognized the danger of allowing the Irish their native games but probably also sounded hilarious.

In the 18^th century many rich landlords in Ireland would create teams from their servants and tenants and send them out against teams made by neighbouring landlords. While records of the time try to portray this as just a good ol' bit of fun, when you think about it, the English gentry were getting the poor Irish people under their control and making them hit each other with sticks for their own amusement.

The modern game of hurling was organised with the creation of the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1886 an organisation designed to promote traditional Irish games while railing against "foreign" English games like Rugby and Soccer seen as "soft" sports only played by "them across the water." Hurling became a much more codified and officiated sport then it used to be. It is important to note that the modern game, where grown men hurl a hard leather ball at insane speeds and swing large bits of wood at each other is a toned down version of the sport.

The 1939 All Ireland Final between Kilkenny and Cork is known as the "Thunder and Lightning" final. Many think that this was due to the then recent outbreak of World War 2 but it was actually so named because it was played in weather that would get any modern sport called off, the Irish considering the greatest war ever fought (or as we call it "the Emergency"), to be far less important then 30 men running around in a thunderstorm.

Pictured: Hurling and War. Or just War depending on where your from.

The All-Ireland

The main competition for the sport is the All Ireland Senior Hurling Championship which takes place across Ireland from May to September. The most dominant team at the moment is Kilkenny whose MO is to allow the other team to be winning all the way to the last 10 minutes when Kilkenny will effortlessly score at least 10 points without breaking a sweat. Such tactics have allowed Kilkenny to win the last 5 of the last 6 All-Ireland Championships.

Not related, just amusing.

Other succussful teams include Cork and Tipperary as well as other counties like Wexford, Clare, Limerick and Galway. Due to the Irish diaspora, the GAA is able to include several teams from outside Ireland such as New York and London. However geographical absence from the motherland is clearly a factor in the game as they are considered the worst teams in the tournament having only won 1 All Ireland between them way back in 1901.

The Voice of Hurling

The most famous commentater of the sport is Micheal O Muircheartaigh whose style of play-by-play can charitably be described as "eccentric." Muir-a-hurt-ig got the commentary job with Irish broadcaster RTE in 1940 despite having never watched a hurling game in his life. His trademarks include frequently discussing players off-field professions such as:

"Anthony Lynch, the Cork corner-back, will be the last person to let you down - his people are undertakers."

"The stopwatch has stopped. It's up to God and the referee now. The referee is Pat Horan. God is God."

"Pat Fox out to the forty and grabs the sliothar. I bought a dog from his father last week. Fox turns and sprints for goal... the dog ran a great race last Tuesday in Limerick. Fox, to the 21, fires a shot, it goes to the left and wide... and the dog lost as well."

"Stephen Byrne with the puck out for Offaly. Stephen, one of 12. All but one are here to-day, the one that's missing is Mary, she's at home minding the house..."

Baite, skhelps and sangwidges

Hurling players and supporters have, over the years, created their own separate dialect, a crude mixture of English and old Irish. In the event that you find yourself outside Croke Park, surrounded by bloodthirsty Cork fans after they got trounced by the Cats, this handy guide should keep you from being "warped" as a "F*ckin foreign panzy"

Give it a fokin Baite ya plank!
Put a fair bit of an effort into it, you idiot!

He looked fair stomached when he hooked him there.
He looked very surprised when a hurley was wrapped around his neck.

That puck was Mighty! Trust him not to make a hames of it!
He hit the ball quite well. You can trust him not to make a mess of that.

That centre half was bullin after I skhelped him,
That defensive player was extremely angry after I thumped him.

Half time. Come on, and we'll have a cup of tae and some hang sangwidges
Half time. Lets consume some caffeine and some ham sandwiches.

Fokin schmozzle there!
Several players are contesting the ball there!

McCarthy gave his Captain a real flackin at training last night.
McCarthy verbally abused his Captain in front of the team at training last night.

Namajaysus Ref!
In the name of Jesus Referee!

We horsed them out of it.
We intimidated the other team successfully.

Come up ta fock!
I am having difficulty rising the ball on my hurley!

Bollix ta ya!
Up yours!

Hurling On Television 

Here's a typical Hurling broadcast by Irish television station RTE. Irish reader's will find nothing remarkable about it at all, but foreigners tend to be struck by two things:

1. The camera swings back and forth like a metronome on steroids.

2. Where the fuck is the ball?

Due to the small size of the sliotar, a typical field sport camera can't pick it up very well from a distance, meaning that the easist way to find follow the course of the game is to look for the biggest concentration of players.

Also, if you skip to one minute in, that is exactly how the game begins: the ref throws the ball in, backs the hell up in a hurry, and everyone just piles the fuck in.

This writer invites people to imagine that their is no ball and that the players are genuinely crazy.

I'm pretty sure that guy in the white shirt isn't a player, he just wanted a better view.

Read more: http://www.cracked.com/funny-359-hurling/#ixzz2yYrOoE49