Believe it or not, there was a time when Meath were the kings of hurling and people were discouraged from playing the game in Kilkenny.
To celebrate the launch of Far Cry Primal, a new game which takes you back to 10,000 BC for one hell of a prehistoric adventure, we’re celebrating Ireland’s oldest pastime; no, not drinking tea, but the ancient sport of hurling.
Here are 9 things you may not know about it.
It’s the oldest field game in the world
The sport came to Ireland with the Celts over 2,000 years ago and has been growing in popularity ever since. The history of hurling has mostly been told through fire-side fables about lads like Cuchulainn and Fionn Mac Cumhaill.
It was first written about during the fifth century, but there are unconfirmed reports that this was just a bunch of lads in Ennis scribbling “up the Banner” on bathroom walls.
A game of hurling could have lasted a weekend
Back in ancient times if you were planning a game of hurling, you would have had to clear your entire diary for the weekend (did people have diaries in ancient times?). Historically, hurling was played between neighbouring villages and a game could go on for hours, or even days.
If that happened today, we’d have to change the Sunday Game to ‘The Sunday, Monday. Tuesday and maybe even Wednesday Game.’
Discouraged in Kilkenny
During the 13th century hurling was discouraged in Kilkenny, with the statute stating that English settlers would be better served to practice archery and fencing. Yes, they actually suggested that they fight with swords and practice with bow and arrows instead of hurling.
The Golden Age has been and gone
The 18th century is known as ‘The Golden Age of hurling’ as the landowning gentry would keep teams on their land and challenge their contempories. Essentially, it was professionalism in sports before the age of professional sports.
Across the Atlantic
There are records of the sport in Canada from 1780. They came from a Catholic Bishop writing home to complain about the fights in these games.
A sliotar, but not as you know it
According to fables, sliotars were made by the victor removing the brains of slain opponents, mixing them with lime to harden and then using them in games.
Trinity played its part in hurling’s evolution
The first attempt to standardise the game with formal rules came with the foundation of the Irish Hurling Union in Trinity College in 1879.
Hurling was played at the Olympic games
During the 1904 Olympics a number of unofficial sports were played. Gaelic football and hurling were among them. Fenian F.C of Chicago won the gold medal.
First player to wear a helmet
The first hurler to wear a helmet was Micheál Murphy for UCC in 1969.
So there you have it, the history of our most primal sport: hurling.
If you want to make your own history, you can buy Far Cry Primal in shops from today.
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