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Variously described as a cross between croquet and sword fighting,  and the fastest game on grass, hurling is indeed a sport;  a wonderful, intense, exhilarating sport for both players and fans.  A Gaelic game with origins extending back at least as far as the 14th century, hurling is a field sport where two teams, each with 15 players on the field at a time, use their sticks or hurleys to send the ball or sliothar either into the goal or over the posts.  The sliothar may be scooped up with the hurley and batted baseball style or it may be hit on the ground.  No fair picking it up with your hands.  You wouldn’t want to get your fingers down there anyway with all those sticks swinging.  Those players mean business!  There are a few other rules to be aware of as well.

Check out this video:  Hurling-The Fastest Game On Grass

Milwaukee proudly boasts the largest hurling club in North America.  The Milwaukee Hurling Club has been swinging  hurleys at  sliothars for 13 years now.  The club’s growth is an amazing success story summed up nicely in it’s motto. “Is Fui Agus Is Feidir” loosely translates to, “It is important and it is worth doing”.  One other very special aspect of Milwaukee’s hurling club is that it happens to be coed.  It’s the only club we know of where the women can play with the men.  Yep.  Traditional hurling is a men’s only endeaver.  Women usually play camogie, same game but no men allowed.  In the Milwaukee Hurling Club, women can play camogie, hurling, or both.  This year’s club has roughly 220 players with around 25 of them women.  There’s also a thriving youth league.

Have a look here to see Camogie players in action!

This is my third year playing.  A friend of a friend suggested it (knowing that I’ve been in love with playing ice hockey for years now) and I’m finding hurling to be wonderfully addictive as well.  I’m also finding Milwaukee’s club to be outstanding at welcoming rookies and providing good instruction, practice opportunities, and a truly warm family atmosphere.  It’s a close knit group though it keeps expanding.  It seems that everybody knows everybody though there are more everybodies to know every year which is exactly as it should be.  Come on out and see what it is I’m talking about.  Here’s the schedule for the coed games for the season.  We usually play at Brown Deer Park.  Those who want to bring their grill and cooler and make a day of it are welcomed and encouraged.   Expand your horizons a bit!  Come check out the fastest game on grass, played by the largest hurling club on the continent, and spend an afternoon with people who can tell you more about what is going on out there and why you might want to try it, too…  ~DG