School: Ball Áluinn (Balla) (roll number 1146)
- Location:
- Balla, Co. Mayo
- Teacher: P. Ó Maolanaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0095, Page 192
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- The oldest report of a hurling match in this locality as far as can be learnt in the district was of a match at Brige Castle between the barony of Barra and the Barony of Gallen. This was about the year 1838. There were about 50 men on either side. There were no goal posts or point posts. The wooden ball was brought into each barony in turn a certain distance. The idea was to hurl it back into the opponents territory. The hurleys were made of ash. Barra won this match.
The only reports of football games go no farther back than around the years of the founding of the G.A.A. One game played between Balla and Castlebar at Lagaturin was in P.W Nally's time. As he was one of the original founders of the G.A.A. it was probably at this time the match was played. R.I.C. came from Ballinrobe and Castlebar to see if anything seditious took place. One old R.I.C. man who is 75 a Mr. Conway of Balla told me he was present. Twenty-one men played on each side. There were two posts up at each end as goal posts. In a line with them on either side were two further posts. These were the point posts. The distance between them was ten yards. The length of the field was variable according as it suited and could be from 150 to 200 yards according to(continues on next page)
- Collector
- P. Ó Maolanaigh
- Gender
- Male
