Is Gaelic Football a crap sport?

[Eagerbeaver]

That type of hurling is only played in Tipp and Cork. The langers.

Hardyarse, you're not by any chance related to O'Neill are you? The humour you boys come up with is fantastic. Good work!

 

[medusala]

It is an excellent sport.

And Hurling is one of the best sports outside of Australia, I have seen (and probably the hardest!)

Gaelic might be ok but hurling is a complete and utter joke ranking right alongside field hockey as a game that should be banned immediately. There is no team sport where its acceptable to hit the ball with a stick.

 

[O'Neill]

Gaelic might be ok but hurling is a complete and utter joke ranking right alongside field hockey as a game that should be banned immediately. There is no team sport where its acceptable to hit the ball with a stick.

Why, because you need skill?

The game Hardyarse describes reminds me of an unusual training method used for a junior football team in East Tyrone. The jist of it was as follows:

1. Using haystacks as training opponents - rugby tackling them. Cut to pieces
2. Screaming "hoagh" in a high pitched voice in order to confuse and bewilder opponents when they have the ball
3. Throwing a cap with fish-hooks in it at your opponent when a high ball comes in.
4. Throwing dogs through windows in celebration of victory.

Gone are the days of innocence.

 

[dogsbody]

I play in Adelaide,...

Sounds like a lot of fun. I thought you played in Melbourne.

 

[Joffaboy]

Must admit, that while I like Gaelic football, unfortunatelty it still reminds me too much of soccer. I have an affliction to any game with a round ball you kick or bounce. Is extremely quick, and I could see how quick you had to be when I went to the IR game at the MCG last season. The Irish seemed to be so much quicker than the Australian players, obviously because in the Irish game it is an absolute necessity where in AFL the game can be slowed down with tackling and marking.

Hurling is one hell of an interesting game though. Out of the two wholy Irish games that is the one I enjoy more. Sending out a bunch of mad Irishmen onto any sporting field is bad enough, sending them armed is extraordinary.

Unfortunately neither game gets televised in Australia very often. I know I would much rather watch either game than most American sports or indeed soccer.

 

[Fire]

Firstly, no, Gaelic Football is not a crap sport. It is one of the oldest ball sports in the world, which spawned that capr you people play out ther in Oz.

Not true buckeroo.


Not true at all.

 

[Giuseepe]

I think Gaelic football is a good sport

 

[Funky Colin]

I think it would be fair to conclude that Guiseppe (who started this thread) is in the significant minority. Albeit that Gaelic enthusiasts would have contributed strongly to the poll and the posts.

Personally, I have fond memories of Wide World of Sports in the mid to late 80's when Chapelli or Gibbo would introduce the All-Ireland Hurling Finals and then I'd be absolutely transfixed to the telly watching these mad blokes from Cork play Kerry, Killarney, Kilkenny, etc. (any county starting with a K really)in front of a packed Croke Park. It was absolutely mesmerising - organised chaos but compelling to watch, even for a young teenager.

With respect to Gaelic football I concur with the majority here, it's also great to watch (I've seen some local games here in Melbourne), and requires immense skill and pace. Whilst we may beat our chest and hold out our Aussie Rules as the being greatest game on earth, I can see why the Irish revere their indigenous sports in the same manner. I think they're fantastic, and anyone who thinks otherwise.....is entitiled to do so.

 

[Flukey]

Gaelic Football and Hurling are two magnificent sports and their respective Senior Finals are the two biggest anual sporting occasions in the country. No horseracing, soccer, golf, rugby or any other sports biggest day comes close.

I frequent Croke Park very regularly. Here is a little set of my photos capturing some of the days there over the past 18 years. Note how the stadium has been re-built completely now.

http://homepage.eircom.net/~flukey/GAAPics.htm

The old Cusack Stand, 1986.

The new Cusack Stand, 2004.

This is a fabulous shot of a goal being scored by Wexford in last year's All-Ireland Hurling Semi-Final against Cork. The ball is mid-air, gone past the goalkeeper and appearing to be in line with the endline. Considering the speed of the ball, it was an incredible still photo for me to have got.

 

[Giuseepe]

I think it would be fair to conclude that Guiseppe (who started this thread) is in the significant minority. Albeit that Gaelic enthusiasts would have contributed strongly to the poll and the posts.

Personally, I have fond memories of Wide World of Sports in the mid to late 80's when Chapelli or Gibbo would introduce the All-Ireland Hurling Finals and then I'd be absolutely transfixed to the telly watching these mad blokes from Cork play Kerry, Killarney, Kilkenny, etc. (any county starting with a K really)in front of a packed Croke Park. It was absolutely mesmerising - organised chaos but compelling to watch, even for a young teenager.

With respect to Gaelic football I concur with the majority here, it's also great to watch (I've seen some local games here in Melbourne), and requires immense skill and pace. Whilst we may beat our chest and hold out our Aussie Rules as the being greatest game on earth, I can see why the Irish revere their indigenous sports in the same manner. I think they're fantastic, and anyone who thinks otherwise.....is entitiled to do so.

I am not the minority I too think Gaelic football is a good sport.

 

[Darealrath]

Hurling is completely independent from lacrosse.

It is played with a stick called a caman (pronounced cah-mawn, also sometimes called a hurl) and a small ball called a sliotar (Schli-thar). The field, posts and scoring system used are the same as in football (our kind).

The player strikes the ball with the hurl, usually attempting a clearance, pass, or shot. A handpass is made whn a player hops the ball off either the hurl or his hand, and strikes it cleanly with his hand. It is illegal to score using a handpass. Throwing the ball is not permitted.

It is illegal to lift the ball off the ground using the hand, the stick must be used, although catching the ball in the air is permitted.

A player may take the ball no more than two times in his hand, and can only move four steps with the ball in his hand. To overcome this, the player runs with the ball on his stick.

Obviously, striking a player with a hurley is not allowed, nor is a "chop." This is when a player brings his hurley downon top of that of another player. If a player is running with the ball on his stick, it is possible to knock the ball off the stick using the hurl. Shoulder tackles are allowed. One of the most comin methods of dispossessing a player id the "hook." This when a player inserts his hurl into the crookof the arm of his opponent, just as his opponent is about to strike the ball. This usually results in the player making at best half contact with the ball, at worst, an air shot.

I modern day hurling, most players wear helmets. The risk of head and eye injuries is simply to great and wearing a helmet, as an Aussie once told me, does not make you "soft" It makes you sensible.

Women's hurling is called camogie.

A sliotar

An old hurl with it's modern day equivalent. The shape of the left hurl is still used in the Scottish take on the sport, shinty.

Hope that helps you to tell the differrence!!!

I sleep with one next to my bed for security purposes

Signed by the one and only Anthony Daly from Claire (made at his shop too i think). Was lucky enough to see them play live in a '98 match vs Tip i think it was. Amazing match and an amazing sport.

 

[TOFB]

Yes, but by putting on pressure. Yet pressure is developed by the threat of being tackled. Why feel pressured if they can't lay a finger on you?

Because you have to keep soloing and bouncing the ball after 6 or 7 steps. Where as in Aussie rules you only have to bounce it once in about 15 steps. This makes it easier to punch the ball out of your opponent's hands.

 

[coyler]

Just a note for any of our Aussie friends going to the game on Sunday. If you go early there is a good Hurling game on first. Munster v Leinster in a Railway Cup semi final. This is the pick of the best hurlers from each province and given that the winners go to Paris, I think it was Rome last year, it should be a good game

 

[Eagerbeaver]

Just a note for any of our Aussie friends going to the game on Sunday. If you go early there is a good Hurling game on first. Munster v Leinster in a Railway Cup semi final. This is the pick of the best hurlers from each province and given that the winners go to Paris, I think it was Rome last year, it should be a good game

Aye, but Coyler are they treating it seriously and using the top hurlers this time? The Kilkenny semi-final replay is onso I doubt if any of them would be going..........................

Anthony Daly was a legend, and your right Darealrath, that was a fabulous (and controversial) match.

 

[Peter P]

Check out the clips on the Denver Gaels website - where recent American (non-New York teams) GAA championships held http://finals.denvergaels.com/media.shtml - particularly the first of the 3 football clips - Irish action on the clips, not American GAA by the way. The Hurling is certainly worth a look too.

 

[Eagerbeaver]

Fantastic stuff Mr. P. A great way to educate these apes on how to play a real mans game..............................

 

[O'Neill]

A = Australian
P = Professional
E = Egg-Chaser

 

[JeffreyCC]

I love Gaelic football. Up the Dubs!

 

[RUNVS]

I love Gaelic football. Up the Dubs!

Some of the people you are responding to here have likely died of old age.