Gaelic Football and hurling

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Gaelic Football and Hurling

Gaelic football is one of Ireland's most popular sports. It has been going hundreds of years and is now played in various countries around the world. Gaelic sport was given
a boost when the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) was formed in 1884. They wanted
to make sure Irish cultural traditions didn't die out. It has been going longer than football (soccer) and rugby. It is a sort of combination of these 2 games. The ball is the same shape as a football (soccer ball) but a bit smaller in size. The goalposts are again
a combination of the 2 games the crossbar is bit higher than in football (soccer) but
isn't as high as in rugby.
You score in a similar way getting the ball over the bar or into the net using your hand or foot, like rugby there are 15 players in a team. Gaelic football can appear to be a game without rules. But rules were put in place in the 1800's for both Gaelic football and another Irish game hurling. They were officially posted in a paper at the time.
Hurling like Gaelic football is very popular in Ireland. It has also managed unlike
most sports to remain mostly amateur. This is quite an achievement in the days of professional sport that attracts big money. It can be quite a dangerous game to play. The players use a flat wooden stick which is club shaped at the bottom. In order to
score you have to hit the ball into the goal. This is like a football (soccer) goal or you need to get it over the bar as in rugby.
The small ball is quite soft and although hurling may look slightly rough it is however what you would describe as a gentlemen's game. Sportsmanship still seems to prevail and the referee also seems to have the respect of the players on the field.
Both Gaelic football and hurling are 2 games that are firmly rooted in Irish culture.

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