“Rugby is a hooligan’s game played by gentlemen, soccer is a gentleman’s game played by hooligans … hurling is a hooligan’s game played by hooligans.” Roc City Gaelic Coach Scott Fry says this jokingly, tossing a sliotar (a hard leather ball used for hurling, pronounced ‘slid-uhr’) from hand to hand.
The quote alludes to a longstanding rivalry that exists between the respective groups of sporting fandoms, but in the case of hurling, there is greater historical and cultural context to be provided — one that places the Gaelic sport as a pillar of Irish culture and identity maintained despite countless attempts to erase it. The game represents a foundational piece of the stories, art and communities that trace their collective identity to the Atlantic Island of Saints and Scholars.
Though hurling is one of Ireland’s most beloved sports, in the U.S. it is not as commonly discussed around the dinner table. (Not yet, that is.) Before getting too much further into the origin of hurling and how a Rochester sports club is promoting the game locally, a brief rundown is in order.
The basic rules, scoring, and structure work as follows: Traditionally, each side is made up of 15 players attempting to score by striking the sliotar either through a set of uprights for one point, or into the net for three points. Players can strike, kick, hand pass, catch and run with the ball but can only take four steps before releasing possession. Players cannot throw or pick up directly with their hands. To restart play after going out of bounds, the ball will be played “in” via a ground pass. Teams compete over 30-minute halves on a field that ranges from 80 to 90 meters wide and 130 to 145 meters long, about twice the area of a standard soccer field.
“There are not many rules, but there are plenty of infractions,” says Fry, highlighting the balance between structure and chaos. Though a full side consists of 15 players, indoor adaptations of seven per side are also played, and the focus of this training session is exactly that; preparation for a local box seven’s tournament that will host clubs from across the Northeast.
To pinpoint hurling’s official origin proves difficult. Around 3,000 years ago, before the recorded history of Ireland itself, the locals were ‘out back’ playing significantly more brutal iterations of the game featured in legends still told today. One of the more prominent characters in Irish lore is that of Cú Chulainn, a teenage warrior renowned for his hurling abilities who singlehandedly fended off a band of invaders to protect his people’s prized possession, the brown bull of Cooley.
Hurling, in this context, was not just limited to recreation, nor was it in the real living cultures that embodied this lore. It was a game played from youth through adulthood meant to hone in the skills required for battle. Cú Chulainn gained his name by using his hurly and sliotar to defeat a giant hound he was otherwise defenseless against if he hadn’t been out playing prior to this beastly encounter.
As the wheel of time turned, the importance of hurling as an anchor for cultural preservation grew.
Ireland has seen multiple waves of invasion, occupation and struggles for liberation. In the 12th century, Normans banned the game of hurling, simultaneously preventing large gatherings and separating a people from their tradition. While existing under British occupation, Irish identity faced erasure and, once again, hurling would be made an illegal practice — even down to the possession of a hurly. But from the cattle raid of Cooley and fights for independence to the modern day, hurling has withstood the test of both sport and heritage.
So how is it that hurling, which dates back through the ages, is now being played in Rochester?
A native of Milwaukee, Tim Russell is one of three founding members — all brothers-in-law — of Roc City Gaelic. When he relocated to Rochester with his family in the mid-aughts, Russell left behind his hurling club in Wisconsin and knew he had to find a community here.
“I thought, if there is a club, I’m playing and if there isn’t one, I am going to start one,” he said.
In 2014, Roc City Gaelic was born. Beyond hurling, RCG has both a men’s and women’s football team, with sessions, workshops and games throughout the entire year. They welcome anyone with the desire to play, with a particular focus around bolstering women’s numbers to add a competitive camogie (women’s hurling) team, carrying the ancient game into the modern age.
RCG’s mission is to uphold the value of Irish culture in sport and celebrate important post-game gatherings. Nearly every one mentioned this notion, in particular — the communal element. Hurling is distinctly a game where you leave it on the pitch, then share a pint after. That’s what Roc City Gaelic creates through their club and membership offerings. A community.
“Going out to the pub is part of the game too, ya know? There is real camaraderie there,” said RCG Chairman Shawn Milligan. “Of course, it is an Irish sport and we are proud of that, but we also want to bring a sport we love to people here and see it embraced like any other sport.” rochestergaelic.com
Rob Houppert is a contributor to CITY.
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2024.
