What does hurling mean to you?

[seafoid]

I would add

- young fellas behind the goal at the county final looking for sliotars
- broken windows
- time wasted looking for sliotars in nettles

to the list

[johnneycool]

What age is the young fella?

He's 6 and very timid but the little girl is 4 and would face the devil himself.

[trueblue1234]

a game i released when picking up as a 18 year old for the famous Na Magha hurling team from derry city that I should of picked up a long time ago.

I think all us football gaels realise that hurling is our best GAA sport

Jeez your lucky you said that on this side. I don't think it would slide as easily on the other. 

[Sean3]

Hitting the ball just right off a sideline cut

As a young lad, getting a new skill right for the first time and afterwards acting as if it was no big deal while inside you were chuffed to pieces

[laoislad]

My hero growing up was my Uncle who was the Laois goal keeper during part of the 80's.
It was because of him I fell in love with hurling and even though I was as bad a hurler as you could find I always preferred it to football even though I would have been a better footballer (and soccer player)and played more of it.
My Da done umpire at Laois club games and a few Laois county finals as well and I use to get to stand on the sideline because of it and I always loved being nearly in the thick of the action as a youngfella standing watching.

I was more or less in the middle of a huge fight from a Laois county final that my Da was umpire at in the 80's.
I pretty sure it was this game below between Portlaoise and Camross.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRZVJQX1KT0

Anyway what does hurling mean to me? Mostly good memories of growing up travelling to games that my Da was doing umpire at or the thrill of watching my Uncle play in Croke Park.
I think when played at its absolute best there is no other sport to match it.

[Hardy]

a game i released when picking up as a 18 year old for the famous Na Magha hurling team from derry city that I should of picked up a long time ago.

I think all us football gaels realise that hurling is our best GAA sport

Jeez your lucky you said that on this side. I don't think it would slide as easily on the other. 

I'm watching. I just smile indulgently at that ould insecurity in these mellow times. I just have to wonder where johnney got the idea that "all us football gaels" think hurling is better. And why he thinks the rest of us are as mad as himself to be calling ourselves "football gaels" if we prefer hurling.

[Ohtoohtobe]

a game i released when picking up as a 18 year old for the famous Na Magha hurling team from derry city that I should of picked up a long time ago.

I think all us football gaels realise that hurling is our best GAA sport

Jeez your lucky you said that on this side. I don't think it would slide as easily on the other. 

I'm watching. I just smile indulgently at that ould insecurity in these mellow times. I just have to wonder where johnney got the idea that "all us football gaels" think hurling is better. And why he thinks the rest of us are as mad as himself to be calling ourselves "football gaels" if we prefer hurling.

+1. And most of my friends who genuinely love football feel the same.

[Fear Bun Na Sceilpe]

Watching young lads coming through the turnstiles with their sticks and then pucking around on the terraces
The Kilmacud 7s
Championship
Practicing your "weak" side
Going up on youre own to hone your skills on the hurling wall
That feeling you get when you hit the sliothar bang on the sweetspot

[theticklemister]

a game i released when picking up as a 18 year old for the famous Na Magha hurling team from derry city that I should of picked up a long time ago.

I think all us football gaels realise that hurling is our best GAA sport

Jeez your lucky you said that on this side. I don't think it would slide as easily on the other. 

I'm watching. I just smile indulgently at that ould insecurity in these mellow times. I just have to wonder where johnney got the idea that "all us football gaels" think hurling is better. And why he thinks the rest of us are as mad as himself to be calling ourselves "football gaels" if we prefer hurling.

+1. And most of my friends who genuinely love football feel the same.

I mind having an argument as a wee lad with some boy who thought Formula 'wan' racing was more skillful than hurling; I beat him out the door with my reasons!

[LegalAlien]

Hurling means to me:
Memories as a kid being lifted over the turnstile by my grandfather or father even for all Ireland finals;
Paper crèche hats getting soaked and having the black and amber dye running down your face;
Flying the flag out the window of the car on the way up and down to the match only if you remembered not to pull the window down without holding the flag and seeing it going flying away;
Rosettes with a little silver cup;
Journeys back from croke park which seemed to involve stopping in every pub on the way when drink driving was a national past time;
Running out as a 10 year old onto Nowlan Park playing under 12s but feeling I was playing in an all Ireland final;
Chunky O'Brien teaching me how to rise a ball;
Remembering every county final I got to and more so every final or semi final we lost;
The joy and agony of matches which at the time were the most important thing in the world;
Watching my nephews play and seeing the same enjoyment I got that they got;
Talking to my Dad after every Kilkenny match. Sometimes I'd have made it back from London and we'd do it face to face. Other times on the phone(
Sitting in various pubs in London watching any game no matter what club or county and remembering hurling is what we are and always will be!

[johnneycool]

a game i released when picking up as a 18 year old for the famous Na Magha hurling team from derry city that I should of picked up a long time ago.

I think all us football gaels realise that hurling is our best GAA sport

Jeez your lucky you said that on this side. I don't think it would slide as easily on the other. 

I'm watching. I just smile indulgently at that ould insecurity in these mellow times. I just have to wonder where johnney got the idea that "all us football gaels" think hurling is better. And why he thinks the rest of us are as mad as himself to be calling ourselves "football gaels" if we prefer hurling.

Nothing at all to do with Johnney, i think its the ticklemaster who made that comment.

An apology will be accepted if offered.

[Milltown Row2]

a game i released when picking up as a 18 year old for the famous Na Magha hurling team from derry city that I should of picked up a long time ago.

I think all us football gaels realise that hurling is our best GAA sport

Jeez your lucky you said that on this side. I don't think it would slide as easily on the other. 

I'm watching. I just smile indulgently at that ould insecurity in these mellow times. I just have to wonder where johnney got the idea that "all us football gaels" think hurling is better. And why he thinks the rest of us are as mad as himself to be calling ourselves "football gaels" if we prefer hurling.

Nothing at all to do with Johnney, i think its the ticklemaster who made that comment.

An apology will be accepted if offered.

I'm suprised Hardy managed to find this site  feck away off 

[Hardy]

Apologies Johnney.

[Asal Mor]

I would add

- young fellas behind the goal at the county final looking for sliotars
- broken windows
- time wasted looking for sliotars in nettles
to the list

Very true seafoid. I don't like to boast but I had a great knack of finding them with my feet by trampling the nettles and was labelled Inspector Gadget for my sliotar - finding abilities.

[theticklemister]

I would add

- young fellas behind the goal at the county final looking for sliotars
- broken windows
- time wasted looking for sliotars in nettles
to the list

Very true seafoid. I don't like to boast but I had a great knack of finding them with my feet by trampling the nettles and was labelled Inspector Gadget for my sliotar - finding abilities.

Reminds me of an oul football story.

Down in our oul pitch we had no ball catchers so when the ball went over one goal it went into a forest of ditches, trees and bushes. It took ages to find the balls when they went in there. Getting beat by 2 points in an u-16 cship match our goalkeeper in all his wisdom decided the ball was dropping over the bar so he ran behind the grab it before it went into the forest, to my shock and horror standing at corner forward the ball dropped into an empty net! we can laugh about it now but a certain 'D' got shit for it lol lol lol.