Hurling (Sport)

I second getting in touch with second captains. Id say theyd be more than happy to help. Obessesion with tactics has hurt football as a spectacle (even my dad would say this, overuse of handpassing that makes it more akin to basketball and a bit of diving creeping in too) but not so much hurling which is interesting.

I like Con Houlihan's writing on gaelic games although hes of a different era

some of the final few games in football in recent years are so much better than what i remember, but i guess i first went to see it in the 90s. like okay dublin and meath had those amazing games but there were many really turgid shitfests then, there have been a few all-time classics in the last 4/5 years. i like the basketball stuff, when done well. i think dublin work with a basketball coach.

Ulster teams worst offenders obv

You guys are really following through! Thanks Ronan, Deems, Michael B. Will digest and get back with a proper answer tomorrow, too sleepy now, but thanks again, this helps immensely.

Checked the Dutch newspaper db, last thing written abt hurling in a national daily over here is from 1987 (!). Niche five liner. Really feel like ive got something here, hidden gem. It's the time for it, too, at least here it is, to write abt a sport somewhat unspoiled that gathers hundreds of thousands, across socio-economic divides, a sport preserved, that allows players to become modest heroes of some sort yet brings so many spectators to the Park. It's about identity, tradition and sportsmanship in the truest sense of the word. I'm not of the exoticising (is that a word?) kind, would not want to romanticize hurling over here, but living in a country that regrets all things slipping away, either because of narrow minded right wing nationalism or its counterpart - finding solace and safety in the beauty of The Game - I feel this story could speak to many people over here.

Ok, above prob gibberish, am tired, but I'm busting. I'm planning my Dublin trip. Final is sold out (semis still available), but watching it in a pub with people somehow seems appropriate too. A trip to Dublin with an actual purpose would also mean I would be redeemed for being chucked out of the Temple Bar in 2004 emptying a bottle of champagne on stage at New Year's Eve, singing along to Paperback Writer too loudly. But that's another story.

Will get back with a proper reply after a nights sleep, but thanks again, all of you. Massive.

I have this at home, but have admittedly never actually read it:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/GAA-Peoples-History-Mike-Cronin/dp/184889225X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1470208336&sr=8-3&keywords=history+of+gaa

As an outsider, the nationalist angle is one of the most interesting. GAA has always been a vehicle for the promotion and maintenance of a distinct Irish culture and language - commentary and announcements are frequently done only in Irish, even at a junior level captains will be expected to give victory speeches in Irish, everyone sings the national anthem before matches, etc but it's not particularly exclusionary. You see a lot of young Irish-Nigerian kids at football and hurling practice and the Irish-Fijian Ó hAilpín brothers are Cork legends.

This is a nice article:

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/gaa-club-s-integration-policy-pays-off-in-ireland-s-most-ethnically-diverse-town-1.2237262

To some extent it does arguably have a lot of the trappings of a commercial sport - sponsorship, logos on shirts, advertising, etc, the money just doesn't go back to the players.

That Og Cusack article is some properly amazing writing

it honestly gets the hairs on the back of the neck going, i don't even understand every reference in it and that seems unnecessary. i'd love to read him writing more about goalkeepers, like that piece touches on a kind of guild of keepers or some deeper philosophy of the position which is probably interesting. a few rungs up from football's "goalkeepers are all crazy".

it does have a bit of that kind of terse vagueness signifying meaning you get in sports writing but it is a rare case in that it uses that technique effectively.

To some extent it does arguably have a lot of the trappings of a commercial sport - sponsorship, logos on shirts, advertising, etc, the money just doesn't go back to the players.

and they keep the prices relatively fair. i honestly couldn't believe it was only 10 euro to stand on hill 16 for a game when i saw the dublin mayo replay last year. the quality of that match was prob higher than anything i've seen live in any sport, for about 7/8 times the price.

I'm watching the '15 final now, which is up on youtube in its entirety in hd! (Don't spoil the final score for me please ;)) Pretty heated affair so far, things "hotting up" frequently as the commentator puts it.

Am at minute 22 now, and for the first time a player was penalized for running more than four steps with the sliotar in hand, but... I've had the feeling this has happened like a million times already? Is this rule strictly seen to or do the refs blow the whistle when someone takes the micky doing eight or nine steps with it? Just seems like it happens loads, but maybe there's something wrong with my eyes?

Is tú mo stóirín, chaps, all of you.

Ronan, that Óg Cusack article is fabulous, striking stuff. Like you said, you may not get all references (I certainly don't), but it goes straight for the heart. Both of the game and of the reader. Even if you don't know anything about hurling.

(An aside, to illustrate the obscurity of hurling, up to the point of people simply not believing it exists: I rang my bro tonight to tell him about my plan to actually go to Ireland to write about this. He genuinely thought I was pulling his leg for a solid ten minutes. 'Quite frankly,' he said, 'it sounds made up'. It took quite some convincing to make him believe hurling actually exists. He's watching the '15 final too now :))

ShariVari, thank you, I ordered the book you recommended by Cronin!

So, the plan:
The story isn't expected to be a 'news story', as Ronan mentioned, but rather a feature story built on three pillars: the history/tradition aspect of it, the nationalism (I hate this word in this context, it's got a right wing, narrow minded, xenophobic connotation, but I explicitly do not mean it in that sense) and how it brings people together, and the (anti-)capitalist aspect. It being a sport of the people, somewhat, still. I want to string these three components together by speaking to people and obviously going to a match.
Now, on that match: despite visiting the final would be awesome, I think I will go to a semi. That allows the paper to publish it in its Saturday sports section saying 'tomorrow, 110,000 Irish people will go to Croke Park for etc etc. LBI delved deep into this age old sport, yadayadayada'. Even if Dutch ppl can't actually catch the match unless they have Sky Sports or RTE, a reader would rather know something special is happening tomorrow, instead of someone writing 'last week was the final'. I can see that and agree with the editor there.

Roughly, that's the plan now. Promised the editor a detailed pitch over the weekend and then we wait for the definite 'go'. Not written for them before, but a 2,000 word story would be fucking perfect, and a four figure (barely, but four figures are four figures innit) pay.

I am still busting over this! Will keep you all posted, and thanks for all the advice (will def get in touch with the second captains!)

Kilkenny snapped it up. Fuck, I'm out of breath watching this final, and I've just watched it on the telly. The pace is crazy.

kilkenny snapped it up

this might become a theme :)

is it just hurling you're going to cover? i think it's a p good story to do it in advance of the final. donal óg would be a great interviewee i'd say as well.

i came to this thread to talk about the football. dublin a bit average yesterday, i'd be concerned about kerry but i guess have to assume we have another level.

Yep. Looked rattled and ill-disciplined in the last twenty though comfortable enough early on.

i am starting to wonder about connolly - it's definitely true that he's targeted but he always reacts. they need to get his head right or drop him - despite being a brilliant footballer he is a liability.

Kilkenny v Waterford on in 30 mins btw

Fucking Kilkenny masters of the well timed goal. Great game.

So eh this went all topsy-turvy at the last min. Waiting for the go-ahead from a this national paper now. Will know tomorrow eve if I fly to Dublin this weekend.

(btw gosh Dublin yr hotels are expensive!)

Booking.com is yr friend.

Have gone up loads, though - the last hotel I stayed in, albeit a couple of years ago, has doubled in price. There used to be some OK budget options around Harcourt Street. I can only assume the boom is back, baby.

This weekend for how many nights lbi?

*a third national paper, I meant.

I swear I have looked at all hotels above the Liffey, where I want to be, but booking.com offers the best deal at Best Western for 150 a night. Steep! Nothing in the 80-120 range at all, a dece price range you can still get in lotsa other EU capitals. And I feel like I'm too old for dorms ffs. Seen every Airbnb too but they were all meh and I don't have the energy for meeting ppl and sharing loos and petting kittens when I'm just there to do my own thing tbh.

Will drop by here tomorrow if to say if I got the nod, if anyone is up for a fap on Saturday night,

Xp two nights. Coming in on Sat and returning early Monday because I have a funeral to attend here :-/

U should prob webmail a friendly irishman imo

Will def do that D! :)

Kinda meant before u book anywhere

I kinda realized that straight after. Am expecting to hear a def go or no go by this morning, will keep you posted

Woof this match

Waterford must be gutted. Will watch todays semi later on YT hopefully.

Semi final fell through, but the final is a def go, got a good deal w/ a daily wanting to print the story. /davecool.jpg

Dublin fap anyone? Ronan, you about in the motherland weekend of sept 3/4?

Alriiight

Did you go see it in the end? I was in London unfortunately, pretty good game tho. Tipp were brilliant to watch.

Was there at Croke Park, saw it all. Tipp in the second half, especially Séamus Callanan, was mind blowing stuff. Had the best seat in the stadium, and was impressed by how the GAA takes care of the press. And got to chill at Darraghmac's for two nights, which was wonderful. Once in a lifetime experience for me. Handed in my story today, should be published tomorrow in two big Dutch dailies (the Dutch Observer and its separate paper for youth). Will post a screen here tomorrow.

What struck me about Dublin in the end was how the poverty is so on the surface. So many beggars, so many drunk somber people trying to reach out on the streets. And especially, so many lonely old people in ill-fitting suits without teeth, drinking their pint, grabbing onto me like as if I were their chance out of grim death. Sad really. I didn't realize on forehand. Holland has swept the streets clean of beggars and homeless, which is probably for the worst. But the poverty and depravity was really in my face. And I wasn't even looking for it.

That shook me up, but the All Ireland was simply amazing an experience. Words can't describe.

"got to chill at Darraghmac's for two nights, which was wonderful. Once in a lifetime experience for me."

Fair review imo

http://i.imgur.com/hSLWGXq.jpg

Great article LBI! (Just read it with Google Translate). As you mentioned Ballybough is very poor. I moved in nearby (about a mile away from Croker) two years ago and I was shocked by the deprivation. There is a homelessness crisis across the city but I'm talking about endemic poverty, malnourished-looking kids etc. I've lived in the inner city for more than a decade and I've never seen anything like it (apart from some traveller settlements).

I'm pretty sure it's been that way for years - Ballybough comes from the Irish "Baile Bocht" which literally means poor town. Since moving here it's often struck me that many rural Irish people must have a very particular impression of Dublin as a whole if they've only ever seen the area around Croke Park. Wonder if the GAA could do more about this. It's not a given that the area around a stadium must be shitty, the other major stadium (Landsdowne Rd aka Aviva) is in an extremely well-heeled part of town.

P-dog, thank you! And for going through the trouble of finding and translating it, too, really appreciate that.

I was struck by the very same deprivation. Deems and I spoke about the homelessness problem as well, as there seemed to be way more homeless in the city than I'd anticipated (and it lead me to wonder about the Amsterdam homeless; they're there, but the city sweeps the center clean I think... :-/)
It'd be hard for rural Irish people to only see Croke Pak or Ballybough though, because all transport (buses and luas) go through the better off areas. Initiatives like this will be very welcome I'm sure.

Were you at the match or out and about on Sunday? Atmosphere all around was great.

Liked this bit from wiki:

n 2013, Dublin City Councillor Nial Ring started a controversial campaign to change the official Irish name from Baile Bocht to Baile Bog, on the grounds that 'Poor Town' was insulting to the residents. A counter-campaign was started by some Irish-speaking residents.

It may be Poor Town but it's our bloody Poor Town.

Great article LBI!

why would you want to be called "soft town" instead of "poor town"

"baile iontach" obv the choice here.

Thanks SV, means a lot!

Had more social-cultural stuff in there but had to bring it down from 1400 to 1000 words 20 mins before deadline :-/ Trying to get an English version of it published too. If only to cover costs lol.

Baile funk would be my pick tbh

(soz)

Put a guy up for a few nights and all he wants to do is slag the town off

:)

Work related Q: anyone here familiar with tehF0rtyTw0.ie? They'd like an English translation of my piece (for an outsiders view). Happy to oblige, but wondering if I can ask for a (translation) fee. If they are a commercial org or just some public initiative without a dime. Will prob do it anyway, but learned the hard way in the past of doing work for nowt.

F33 sorted.

Piece is up! Lol at the comments.

42 is a fairly big sports site in Ireland, possibly the biggest website beyond older media, it's connected to Daily Edge I think.

There's some very irate Tipp fans over Seamus Callanan not getting hurler of the year

seems the player awards are now just a pat on the head for the team that lost.

Don't know how it was in previous years, but that seems otm for this year.

(do we not have a rugby thread on here? happened to watch last nights second half seeing you tweeting abt it Ronan, that was fantastic!)