The Best Introduction to Hurling I’ve Ever Found
“Oh, I did a lot of that in college. Ha!”
“Is it that sport where they take big logs and try to...?”
“That Olympic sport?”
It’s fast like basketball. Players hit the ball with a wooden stick like baseball. You can carry the ball with a stick like lacrosse. The goals are a little like soccer with an upright like American football.
I tell people it’s like “hockey in the air.”
Most YouTube videos focus on one narrow part of the game—the rules, or the hardest hits, or the best goals.
Then I found the original 60 Minutes Sports segment called “Hurling: Ireland’s National Obsession.” It’s the best introduction to hurling for Americans that I’ve ever found.
It’s almost 15 minutes long, but it’s the most complete, respectful, and gripping portrait of hurling available. If you can find it.
It goes beyond the rules and gets to the heart of the game.
Interviews with President Michael D. Higgins and Donal Óg Cusack add depth and the piece really captures what makes hurling a living tradition. A shared pride. A community.
Originally aired in 2015, it’s the kind of segment that gives people chills—even if they’ve never set foot in Croke Park or picked up a hurley. It shows the sacrifice, the joy, and the roots of the game for those of us who play or support hurling here in San Francisco.
I can’t embed the video here, but you can watch it at this link. I’m also told the full episode is available on Paramount+ if you want to watch it there.
If you want to introduce someone to hurling, start here.