School: Castlepollard (B.) (roll number 5513)
- Location:
- Castlepollard, Co. Westmeath
- Teacher: William Coghlan
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0720, Page 205
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- XML School: Castlepollard (B.)
- XML Page 205
- XML “Hurling and Handball”
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- Hurling
Hurling is the game which is mainly played round here. The game was started about 35 year ago. Before hurling was played they played cricket and 'commons'. Commons was played like this.
A number of boys got together and cast lots to see what boys would be on each side. This game was played with a crooky stick and a wooden ball. Two coats were put on each side of the road to mark the goals, there were no points. They usually took up a space of 200 yds in length to play the game.Handball was also played here. It was played against the end wall of a house as there was no alley in the town. this game is counted in in aces. The man who counted had a long stick called a 'tally'. When one man got an ace he(the marker) put a nick with a pen-knife on one end of it, and when the other man got an ace the stick would be nicked at the other end. When the game reached sixteen aces the marker would shout(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Sean Halpin
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Castlepollard, Co. Westmeath
