Gender and Hurling
Similar to other sports, gender plays a significant role within the Hurling community. Firstly, in 1904 a version of the sport was established for women and went by the name Camogie. Furthermore, Camogie follows different rules and regulations compared to Hurling. For example, Camogie teams are generally smaller and they play on smaller fields. As well, one very distinct rule between the two versions is regarding physical contact. In Hurling, physical contact is allowed, however, Camogie players are not allowed to make physical contact. As well, women's Gaelic sports, including Camogie, have received less support compared to Hurling over the years (Brady).
It is also important to detail how gender has impacted the sport as a whole, not just in the Camogie space. For a long time, Irish sports, such as Hurling, were deemed to be "masculine" and strictly a "male space." Furthermore, as Sarah Brady puts it, "Gaelic Football and hurling were fashioned to display male prowess, and in doing so, to show that the Irish were not weak (Brady, 32)." Women's involvement in the Hurling community and space has challenged this notion, and is displaying how women are not weak and that these spaces should also include and allow women's involvement. This challenge has not sat well with the male dominated field and has, sadly, resulted in many aspects of the Camogie community receiving less support in both Ireland and in Irish communities in other parts of the world (Brady).