History of Hurling

Hurling as a sport has gone through various changes over the course of its history. It has developed different versions for different times of year and has had varying popularity throughout its existence. Furthermore, Hurling has also been shown to have popped up in other locations across the world, despite it being most well known in Ireland.

 

The history of Hurling is seemingly difficult to pin point. One of the earliest mentions of the sport is from the 1366 piece "Statutes of Kilkenny." However, the mention of Hurling implies that it was quite a popular sport at the time, and therefore, had more than likely been around for quite some time. Hurling also has a history of being suppressed by individuals in power. In the previously mentioned piece Hurling was declared prohibited. Similarly, in both 1527 and 1695 two other documents describe either a dislike of the sport and when it is played or, again, prohibiting its play (Sullivan & Downey). Hurling would eventually arrive in other areas of the world as well, some areas include the United States and Canada (Darby; Ryan & Wamsley).

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During the medieval period Hurling went through a significant change, it split between winter and summer Hurling. One of the key differences between the two types of Hurling was that summer Hurling focused more so on carrying the ball with the hurley stick and hitting it in the air. Winter Hurling, on the other hand, used a different kind of hurley that was more narrow and was bent at the end. This version focused more on hitting the ball while it was on the ground (Sullivan & Downey). 

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Using the definition of a folk group provided by the book "Living Folklore, 2nd Edition: An Introduction to the Study of People and Their Traditions" by Martha Sims and Martine Stephens, the folk group related to Hurling becomes fairly clear. Just like other sports, the folk group is the people who participate in the Hurling community, whether it be attending games or participating in them (Sims & Stephens). 

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