School: Killmallock Convent School

Location:
Kilmallock, Co. Limerick
Teacher:
An tSr. Dimpna
Browse
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0528, Page 221

Archival Reference

The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0528, Page 221

Image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD.

See copyright details.

Download

Open data

Available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

  1. XML School: Killmallock Convent School
  2. XML Page 221
  3. XML “Hurling - 50 Years Ago”

Note: We will soon deprecate our XML Application Programming Interface and a new, comprehensive JSON API will be made available. Keep an eye on our website for further details.

On this page

  1. In olden days hurling was far different from what it is to day. It was a case of one Parish or Town-land challenging another, for instance Kilmallock versus Ballingaddy. The match used to start after the mass about 12 o'clock at a point central to the Parishes, and continue until dark. It was a case of carrying or striking the ball to the player's own Townland or Parish. The number of players was unlimited, there were no rules, and a crooked stick called a "scoob" or "scoobeen", was used. The players were attired in their ordinary clothes, except when a player discarded his coat and vest and maybe his boots, so as to give more freedom to his movements. If a player was carrying the ball in his hand it was permissable to strike him and make him drop the ball. Goals or points were unknown. The group of men who took the ball "Home" or nearest home at the game were declared Victors. It was 50 years ago when hurling was first played in a field, and governed by a Referee, or had any of the features of the game as we know it to day. The Teams were limited to 21 a side. Goal Posts were then erected, and goals were the only scores recorded. At a later period a ball going over the cross-bar was regarded as a point. It was only 24 years ago that hurling as we have it to day began to be in vogue; with the hurlers limited to 15 a side, and governed by the same
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. activities
      1. social activities (~7)
        1. entertainments and recreational activities (~5,933)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Maureen Sheedy
    Gender
    Female
    Age
    14
    Address
    Ballingaddy North, Co. Limerick
    Informant
    Thomas Sheedy
    Gender
    Male
    Address
    Ballingaddy North, Co. Limerick