No end in sight to clash of the ash

Donal Hickey talks to hurley maker John Torpey.

ONE of the country’s leading hurley makers insists there will always be a demand for ash, despite the scarcity of the native variety.

“A scarcity of ash for hurleys! What scarcity?” asks John Torpey. He was one of several knowledgeable people to react to a recent column, which reported on an opening in the market for plastic and synthetic hurleys of various kinds, because of a shortage of ash in Ireland for crafting the traditional camán.