Losing Ireland tag can bring hurling to the world
It was yet another example of how pockets of passion for the GAA turn up in the unlikeliest places. It never gets old though.
For Kilkenny-born, Leitrim-based, journalist Denis O’Brien there was something in this growth of hurling in the States, always fascinating, sometimes eccentric and definitely full of hope for the future.
His new book, “Hurling USA: America discovers an ancient Irish sport”, which was published as a e-book on Amazon at the end of June, is aimed at the incessantly curious Americans who are discovering this ancient game outside of the traditional centres in New York and Boston, in places like Orlando, Milwaukee and St Louis.
O’Brien, who spent a good chunk of his working life in the States, was so absorbed by all these stories of clubs sprouting up around the country that before he moved back to Ireland a few years ago, he decided there was a book begging to be written.
And in so doing, he makes some ambitious arguments.
For one, he says, the GAA has scope to become an international organisation, no longer constrained by the baggage of the past, the insularity of Irish culture. An end to the “Irish domination of the sport”, he believes, could allow it to really set down some roots in America.
“To have Americans involved in hurling in their own country is a huge culture change for the GAA,” he told me on Monday. “It’s a good sign for the growth of the game.
“They’re looking at it as a sport in and of itself. We look at it as part of our tradition — which it is, of course. But they bring a fresh perspective.
“The GAA is a very conservative organisation. It’s not about the GAA over there (in the US), it’s about games. I can understand its place in Ireland, having all these clubs in every parish, bringing entertainment and social value. That’s huge. But it’s about the games too, the GAA inherited the games. Sometimes we lose sight of the development of the game when we discuss all the aspects of the GAA.”
O’Brien’s well-researched book delves into how the game has spread to the major cities in the US as well as in universities in California, Tennessee and Indiana. After a two-year stint at The Leitrim Post, which folded in 2009, he decided to focus his energies on researching hurling in America.
O’Brien believes strongly the era of the summer GAA player should be brought to an end, or at least limited. Admitting this would be difficult to enforce, the next solution would be to ensure that high profile inter-county players who spend a summer playing senior football in New York and Boston could be obligated to contribute a set number of hours to coaching young Americans, anything that will advance the development of clubs on their own terms.
“You look at the Milwaukee club, they started up 17 years ago and now they are by far the largest hurling club in the US. They have 200 adults, 80 kids, 10 teams. That shows you that if you want to develop, you have to place emphasis on the lower grades and not just focus on having a senior team which is boosted by lads coming over for the summer. You have to grow a club locally, without that, you’ll have nothing.
“If we can never completely remove the dependency on players coming over, then anyone who does benefit from a summer in the States, they should be expected to give up some of their time to coach youngsters in summer camps linked to the club they play with.
“It can’t be a closed shop. Americans who discover the game can’t think that when it comes to playing, it’s only for Irish people. That attitude can be translated back across the Atlantic — people who haven’t played since primary school should be willing to pick up a hurley again and play it at a level that isn’t overly competitive but just for the love of the game.
“If you build it slowly from a small unit out, you’ll develop local interest and sponsorship or media interest will follow. Then you’re building up structure and community.”
And then the world. As the book explores, stick-and-ball games go all the way back to Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt.
O’Brien won’t be happy until it returns to as many far flung fields as possible.
* Contact: john.w.riordan@gmail.com Twitter: @JohnWRiordan
