The Best Introduction to Hurling I’ve Ever Found
“Oh, I did a lot of that in college. Ha!”
“Is it that sport where they take big logs and try to...?”
“That Olympic sport?”
It’s fast but it’s nothing like basketball. Players hit the ball with a wooden stick but that’s the only thing it has in common with baseball. It’s not really like lacrosse where players have a net to catch the ball and wear loads of protection. The goals are a little like soccer but with an upright like American football.
I tell people it’s like “hockey of the air.”
Most YouTube videos focus on a narrow aspect of the game—the rules, or the hardest hits, or the best goals. If you’re new to the game, they don’t quite do the job.
The best introduction to hurling for Americans is a 2015 60 Minutes Sports segment called “Hurling: Ireland’s National Obsession.”
It’s the most complete, respectful, and gripping portrait of hurling available.
It goes beyond the rules and gets to the heart of the game. It includes interviews with then-President Michael D. Higgins and Donal Óg Cusack to add depth. The piece captures what makes hurling a living tradition. A shared pride. A community.
I can’t embed the video, but you can watch it at this link. I’m also told the full episode is available on Paramount+.
If you want to introduce someone to hurling, start here.
