For The Love Of Port

I have been introduced to Hurling (the Gaelic sport, as opposed to the side effect of alcohol).

It can best be described, I think, as a grounded version of Quiddich from Harry Potter. A bunch of large, burly men run around with large wooden sticks and swing them at a hard, fast moving ball in an attempt to behead each other... er, I mean hit the ball into a net. It's also sometimes as lacrosse crossed with rugby crossed with ice hockey.

Other than a flimsy plastic helmet, they're not wearing any armor either. Personally, I think I'd want a full suit of plate mail before I'd venture out onto that field.

I think someone invented this sport after one (or several) too many pints of Guinness.

Somehow, now one has died yet this year playing hurly. At least not in this stadium. Yet.

Crazy people.

It makes our football players (the kind with the oblong ball, not the round one) seem like sissies, Huh

andy velebil wrote:

It makes our football players (the kind with the oblong ball, not the round one) seem like sissies, Huh

Yeah, but so does Cricket

Glenn,

Did you get to watch it at the famous 82,300 seater Croke Park Stadium in Dublin



Hard to believe that a game that is played by so few people in the world could have such a wonderfull and historic venue.

Derek

The Scots nearly did the same with the Highland Games! Sadly they were instinctively persuaded by the cost of hiring the open field!

Holy smokes, that is a monster of a stadium

Yeah, Croke Park is amazing. Not only is it a fabulous 82,000 seat stadium, but it is entirely reserved for Gaelic sports! They're playing soccer there for 2 years, but had to pass a special dispensation to allow it while the new soccer stadium is being built because soccer is not a Gaelic sport.

Croke Park is the 4th largest stadium in Europe. It's constantly sold out for events, and all they play there are Gaelic sports like Hurley and Gaelic football. Soccer is a 2nd class citizen not worthy of gracing the pitch at Croke Park.

Like I said... CRAZY!

Glenn E. wrote:Yeah, Croke Park is amazing. Not only is it a fabulous 82,000 seat stadium, but it is entirely reserved for Gaelic sports! They're playing soccer there for 2 years, but had to pass a special dispensation to allow it while the new soccer stadium is being built because soccer is not a Gaelic sport.

Croke Park is the 4th largest stadium in Europe. It's constantly sold out for events, and all they play there are Gaelic sports like Hurley and Gaelic football. Soccer is a 2nd class citizen not worthy of gracing the pitch at Croke Park.

Like I said... CRAZY!

Glenn,

I'm not sure what you Irish Hurly friends would have described it as but the other sport that is being played there currently is Rugby Union, not Football (soccer). The Irish international rugby team's home is at Lansdowne Road on the other side of the city and is currently being re-built so the GRA, who own Croke Park, are allowing them to use the stadium for a few years. Croke Park has been used for the annual 6 Nations tournament (Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France, Italy and England) for the past two years and every game has been a complete sell-out. A Dublin taxi driver told me last month that the Rugby guys are now scratching their heads wondering why they are currently building new stadium at huge expense with only half the capacity of Croke Park

Derek

Odd... it was a tour guide who told us that they were allowing soccer to be played there for 2 years while a new stadium was being built. And he said soccer, too, not football (he knew we were Americans).

Of course, knowing we were silly Americans, he might have thought that we call Rugby Union "soccer" too.

Glenn E. wrote:Odd... it was a tour guide who told us that they were allowing soccer to be played there for 2 years while a new stadium was being built. And he said soccer, too, not football (he knew we were Americans).

Of course, knowing we were silly Americans, he might have thought that we call Rugby Union "soccer" too.

Glenn,

It is possible that this is also true as the Irish soccer team may also traditionally play at Landsdown Road.

Derek

in Scotland we have shinty,but we are all Gaels.Think the French have something similar .Wha Hey the Scots!!.Gings crivens help ma bob etc ,Slainthe ! Big Andy fae the toon.

pinalta wrote:in Scotland we have shinty,but we are all Gaels.Think the French have something similar .Wha Hey the Scots!!.Gings crivens help ma bob etc ,Slainthe ! Big Andy fae the toon.

Andy, I'm fae Abbeyhill - now live wae the English but um up the toon every weekend tae see the bairn.

Fancy a port sometime?

Hey, this is an English speaking website :devil: But I do fancy some port...maybe a little roadtrip to the Highlands is in order...wonder if I can drink as much whiskey as I do Port

Andy Velebil wrote:wonder if I can drink as much whiskey as I do Port

You will find Whiskey in Ireland, but the Scots will give you Whisky

so long as they don't make me wear a dress...uhh, i mean kilt

Andy Velebil wrote:so long as they don't make me wear a dress...uhh, i mean kilt

Worse. I'm going to make you eat Haggis :devil: :help:

Derek T. wrote:

Andy Velebil wrote:wonder if I can drink as much whiskey as I do Port

You will find Whiskey in Ireland, but the Scots will give you Whisky

I'm an official Irish Whiskey taste tester, and I have the certificate to prove it!

Derek T. wrote:Worse. I'm going to make you eat Haggis

Haggis is to good food as Whisky is to Whiskey.

Glenn,

now we're talking..Port and whisky, you the man! But the certificate does scare me

Haggis...NO WAY :!:

Shh... don't tell anybody, but you can become an Official Irish Whiskey Taste Tester by taking a tour of the Old Jameson Distillery in Dublin and performing a comparison test of 3 whiskeys, 1 whisky, and 1 bourbon at the end.

Andy Velebil wrote:Haggis...NO WAY :!:

You're not getting off that easy my friend. In October you will spend at least 2 nights in Scotland and on at least one of those nights you will eat our national dish. I promise you a good old VP to wash it down with if you'll promise me you will use the correct cutlery to eat it with