Irish Sports

Hurling	Gaelic Football	Road Bowling

Only general elections command as much attention and animated debate in Ireland as sports. And of the sports played, the Gaelic games - hurling and Gaelic football - and road bowls are deeply entwined in Ireland's social and political culture. In the early 19th century both hurling and Gaelic football were either discreetly discouraged or openly prohibited by priests and landlords, perhaps because of fear of violence and drunkenness, but mainly out of suspicion of nationalism. They were often right. In 1884 the Gaelic Athletics Association (GAA) was formed, originally to 'combat the influence of other games and customs which threatened to destroy the surviving cultural inheritance of Gael.' But despite attempts to prevent the games, today about 300,000 men play them in Ireland, with strong support among Irish communities in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Capacity crowds of up to 65,000 gather in September at Croke Park, Dublin, for the All-Ireland finals, the culmination of intercounty knock-out championships for hurling and football. Hill 16, where the Dublin fans congregate, is a sea of blue flags, banners and clothing. Elsewhere, pockets of green and gold mark supporters of Meath and of Kerry, or 'The Kingdom', as it is known. And anyone can participate. Jack Lynch, Prime Minister of the Irish Republic between 1966 and 1979, won six successive All-Ireand titles during this period: five for hurling and one for Gaelic football, all for Cork.