Football

Down to the '80's & much later the football itself was made of THIN HARD hayrops tightly wound into shape and covered with some hard cloth. There were parochial & ( & often too) "townland" teams that "tried it out" on Sundays. There was a good deal of rivalry etc; no football boots, no togs, no CAPTAIN no REFREE or no team placings: it seemed to be all for each & each for all. For goal post they used stones which they called "Bairies" (Irish Báire ?)
Long ago very likely 100 yrs ago they played cross-country football. Teams representing differenty townlands, met at a central meeting place and played "cross-country" football over hills hollows hedges & ditches: the winning team was that which drove their opponents farthest back from the starting point."Hurling" ?A game resembling hurling was played too. Hurleys or sticks with a natural curve "for bos" were pulled from trees and men and boys hurled STONES on the roads on Sundays. There are no stories of actual inter-townland "hurling" tests.