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Fun Facts about Hurling

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Fact 1# Hurling around the world Hurling is growing in Ireland but also rapidly around the world with more and more people joining each year which is great to see as it is a sport for everyone no matter what background you come from. A big factor in hurling growing is it being televised especially on Sky sports as it reaches out to millions throughout the world. In terms of Britain, the Irish immigrants brought the game over in the 19th century and London are the only non Irish team to win the All Ireland in 1901 beating Cork and they still compete in the lower championship called the Christy Ring.  London GAA (sportsmanager.ie) Fact 2# Fastest field sport in the world Hurling is both the fastest and oldest field sport in the world. The fastest shot recorded in hurling to date was by TJ Reid who hit the sliotar 181.1kmps against Limerick in the All Ireland semi final in 2014. With the game progressing year on year in terms of statistics etc it wont be long before someone breaks the...
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My top 5 GAA stadiums

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 1 . Casement Park [Antrim] Living in County Antrim, Casement Park was always the centre of GAA with every County final being played there. Not only was it great for Gaels across the county but also for the local community with people coming from all over Ireland to watch the matches. It had an official capacity of 32,282 but closed in 2013 with plans to redevelop it into a new state of the art stadium. However what has happened from then in relation to the new stadium has been far from straight forward. In 2013 planning permission was granted for a 38,000 seater stadium but this quickly changed in 2014 when the high court brought a legal challenge by some local residents. Years past and in 2017 a new plan was put through with a 34,000 seater with the budget of 77.5 million but with the price rising to 110 million because of the the rise in materials. In the summer of  2021 big news came for the stadium with acceptance of planning permission and work is set to begin in 2022....
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My Top 2 Hurling games of all time

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 Clare vs Cork  2013 All Ireland Final  If ever a game epitomised the beautiful game of hurling, this is it. There was a crowd of 81,651 and they definitely got their moneys worth that day. Clare used a sweeper system most of the season but they didn't use it for the final to try and confuse Cork. What they did do was having their forwards working extra hard  to give the back line a hand. The first half was nip and tuck with both teams trading scores and Clare went in at half time 0-12 to 0-10. It was Clare who started the second half better and none other than Tony Kelly was leading the charge but things changed when the Cork man Conor Lehane broke through the Clare defence and scored a goal. Clare gathered their composure and tagged on a few more scores and it started to look like it was going to be their day but Anthony  Nash lashed a 20 yard free into the back of the net to leave Cork just two behind going into the last 15 minutes.  Moments later Cork t...
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Club Hurling Championship {,More than just a game}

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Club Championship The Hurling Club Championship is ran by the Gaelic Athletic Association each year with the best 2 teams in Ireland getting the chance to play in a final in Croke Park . The club season usually starts from March and goes right through to January if your team is successful enough.  The trophy for winning the All Ireland Club Championship is the 'Tommy Moore' cup and it is what every team dreams of lifting.  Structure Different counties have different ways of structuring their club championship. Some like the idea of knockout games because of the thrill of knowing that both teams have to be on their best form or else they are out whereas other counties make the championship longer by having group games so a team can afford to lose. Counties where clubs have dual players who are also competing in the Gaelic Club Championship, the club managers have to ensure that they look after the well being of the dual players, giving them as much time as possible to rest up b...
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My Top 10 Hurlers of all Time

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My Top 10 Hurlers of all Time 1. Christy Ring Still the face of hurling and the epitome of all that is great about this game. The myths about this man are still as relevant today as ever, with the most famous one being that he put lead in his hurl to strengthen his wrists. Christy Ring hailed from the Glen Rovers club in Cork and continued playing hurling up until he was 46 years old. He won 8 All Ireland medals and was the first person to captain a team to 3 All Ireland wins in a row.  Ring who was naturally a shy character liked to do his talking on the pitch. He was named 'Hurler of the Year' at the age of 38, which in todays terms is unheard off. Rings scoring record speaks for itself, scoring 33-208 in his 23 years of playing intercountry.  People from all over Ireland came to watch Christy Ring play because he could do things on the field which no one else could do. Although Henry Shefflin ended up with more silverware in terms of medals than Ring, for me he is stil...
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Hurling: A sport for warriors ( not for the weak)

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Hurling is one of the oldest sports in the world dating back to 1272, it provides thrilling entertainment to all those who watch and play this exhilarating unique game.  It is a dangerous game and certainly not for the faint hearted, with the ball travelling speeds of 100mph and a player from the opposite team chasing you with a hurl. On the 1st of January 2010 it became compulsory for hurlers to wear helmets with a faceguard attached, an initiative implemented by the GAA to reduce the amounts of injuries that were taking place.  As well as introducing the helmet rule, there is a number of other key rules to protect the players but also to also to keep one  of the most skilful games flowing. Picking the ball up off the ground with your hand instead of flicking it up with your hurl is a free to the other team which results in a free. Throwing the (sliotar) hurling ball instead of  hand passing it with an open hand also results in a free to the opposite team. Another r...
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