Hurling is a native Irish game and is one of the fastest field sports in the world.
The main aim of the game is to drive a ball with a stick from one end of a field to the other in order to score a goal or a point.
The Irish word for hurling is iomáint which means the art of hurling, driving or pushing forward. The special stick used is called a hurley or camán made from ash wood. The word camán means a stick with a crooked head, which is a good description of a hurley.
The ball is called a sliotar. It has cork at the centre and is covered with pigskin leather and is treated to make it water-resistant. In the early days the sliotars were not water-proof and they were very heavy and difficult to drive long distances.
The most attractive qualities of the game of hurling are its speed, skill, the man-to-man tackles and the great sportsmanship shown by the players, all of whom are amateurs.
There are 15 players on modern teams but this was not always the case. In the very early days, huge groups of players drove a ball from parish to parish and these games were very rough. At another time there were twenty one players on a team.
Players score a point by striking the sliotar over the crossbar of the goalposts and a goal, when struck under the bar, is worth three points. The sliotar can be struck on the ground or lifted into the hand and struck on the run. Skillful players can run with the sliotar balanced on the hurley.

Hurling is coached in schools and clubs in every county in the country. A schools‚ organisation called Cumann an mBunscol is responsible for coaching, promoting and developing the game at primary school level.
Most players wear helmets to protect themselves during the game.
The All-Ireland Series is organised on a county and provincial basis and is a mixture of league and knock-out games. The two leading teams play in the All-Ireland final in September in Croke Park, the main stadium in the country, for the Liam McCarthy Cup.
       
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MAY 27th
2008