Gaelic Games – Heart Beat of the Nation

The national sport of Ireland is Gaelic Games, which consist of three main codes, Gaelic Football, Hurling and Handball. Gaelic Football is played with a ball in similar size to a soccer ball, played on a similar sized pitch. The main differences are that there are fifteen players on a team, they can pick up the ball with their hands and the gaol posts are like rugby posts. Put the ball under the post score a goal that is worth three points, put the ball over the bar and score a point. Hurling is played on the same pitch and uses the same goal posts and it is considered one of the fastest field games in the world. Played with a leather ball, approximately the size of tennis ball but heavier and with sticks. For those unfamiliar with the game it looks like hockey with no rules!!

Although both are played all year round the main national competitions, the All Ireland Hurling and Football Championships are played over the course of the summer months and teams complete on a county by county basis. Initially they complete at provincial levels, with the winners and qualifiers completing for the ultimate honours.

Unfortunately Carlow has never won the All Ireland title in either code at senior level but it has had some success in the provincial championships. The best period for our footballers was in the early 1940s with three appearance in the Leinster Final in 1941, 1942 and famously in 1944 when they won beating Dublin. The accounts of their matches are detailed here.