School: Ruadhán
- Location:
- Ruan, Co. Clare
- Teachers: Seán Ó Liadhráin Bríd Ní Dhíomáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0613, Page 372
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- Hurling & Football
The game of hurling was not played in this parish long ago, but the game of football was.
Football
All the young men of the parish used to come to a certain field after dinner on a Sunday and they used make two teams one from each side of the parish. Those north and east of the village on one side and those from the south west on the other. The ball was thrown in by the Curate of the parish who acted as referee. They had no goal posts as we have now, but they kicked from one end of the townland in which the field was to the other. If the ball went over the wall into the next townland it counted as a goal. There were no points in those days. The referee scarcely ever blew the whistle for "fouls". It was only when a row started (which was often in those days) that he interfered, and when he had restored peace the game was re-started. They continued at the game until dusk and then returned to their respective homes. They played in different townlands on different Sundays. The ball used was bigger than that now used. It sometimes consisted of a pig's bladder covered with leather by a local shoemaker & was scarcely ever exactly round.
