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GAELIC FOOTBALL
Gaelic football is the most popular spectator
sport in Ireland. Championship matches regularly attract crowds
ranging from 35,000 to 65,000 people, depending on ground
capacities. This is the first comprehensive history of the game
to be published in modern times.
The game was codified in the 1880s on the
foundation of the Gaelic Athletic Association. Prior to that a
series of local rough and tumbles, usually known by the generic
name of Caid, had been played throughout Ireland. The new
codified game, played with a round ball which could be both
handled and kicked, contains elements of soccer, rugby and
Australian Rules. At its best it provides a thrilling spectacle
of high catching, long kicking and clever interpassing.
HURLING
Hurling is one of the fastest and most skilful
field games in the world. It is an ancient Gaelic sport, played
long before the coming of Christianity. The earliest written
record of the game is contained in the Brehon Laws of the fifth
century. The first great hurling hero was
Setanta whose legendary adventures are known to most Irish
children. The game was banned by the Statutes of Kilkenny
because of its popularity with the Normans.
The 18th century was known as the 'golden age'
of hurling. Landlords promoted the game; inter-barony and
inter-county games were played. These matches were very well
organised; teams lined out in set positions (21 a-side) and the
behaviour of each player was controlled by a strict code of
honour. Events from 1790 to 1800 caused the gentry to withdraw
their support for the game of hurling. This, together with the
effects of the Great Famine, severely damaged the development of
the game.
A successful revival of hurling commenced in
1884 with the founding of the G.A.A. The Gaelic games are
organised on a local level - the parish being the basic unit of
organisation. Hence, the national games have become interwined
with community spirit and local pride.
FOOTBALL
Although football was being
played in Ireland since the 1860s, it was
mainly based in Ulster and it was not until
the 1880s that the game spread to other
areas of the country.
The first club outside
Ulster was Dublin Association Football Club
which was formed in 1883. At the time, the
Irish Football Association (IFA) was the
governing body. Based in Belfast, it found
it difficult to promote football throughout
the country. This led to the formation of
the Leinster Football Association in 1892 as
the game became more popular in the area.
However, there was always
a feeling among clubs from outside the
Belfast area that the IFA favoured Ulster
based, Protestant, clubs - especially when
selecting sides for international matches. Despite this, it was not
until after the 1916 Rising and the rise of
Nationalism that southern affiliates, such
as the Leinster FA, took an aggressive
approach in their dealings with the IFA. The
clubs often threatened to break away, and in
early 1921, Bohemians, St. James's Gate and
Shelbourne all withdrew from the Irish
League, though all three sides decided to
remain involved in Cup competitions
RUGBY
Being from Wales originally I have a keen
interest in Rugby myself and that is why I am also keen to
follow Gaelic football.
Dublin University,
founded in 1854, was the first organised Rugby Football Club in
Ireland. Students at the University had first learnt the game
while at English Public Schools. Other clubs which were formed
at the time and are still in existence include, Wanderers
founded in 1869; Lansdowne (1873); Dungannon (1873); UCC (1874);
Ballinasloe (1875); NIFC (1868); Queen’s University (1869).
Ballinasloe and Athlone
amalgamated in 1994 to form Buccaneers.
From 1874 to 1879 there
were two Unions. The Irish Football Union had jurisdiction over
Clubs in Leinster, Munster and parts of Ulster; the Northern
Football Union of Ireland controlled the Belfast area. When the
first International was played against England in February 1875,
the teams were twenty a side and the Irish team included 12
players from Leinster and eight from Ulster. The first fifteen a
side match was in 1877 and the first Munster players were chosen
in 1879.
FISHING
Fishermen
worldwide regard Ireland as “a paradise of fishing”. For many
years now fishing has been one of the top sports pursued in
Ireland not least because Ireland has thousands of places to
fish, along with the many beautiful places to stay. Many famous
people – including Tiger Woods - choose Ireland above all others
locations in Europe. The amount of fish is plentiful, partly due
to Ireland's climate and low pollution levels, and laws that
outlaw illegal fishing. Ireland also has a plentiful supply of
the much sought after and prized Atlantic Salmon, thanks to its
geographical placement on the edge of western Europe. Salmon and
sea trout are native species with an honoured place in Irish
culture. And Ireland's lakes and rivers have preserved their
character in a landscape that has changed very little over the
centuries.
Ireland is
also known as one of the most scenic countries in the world with
Lough Derg and The Shannon river being two of the more famous
waterways. Put it all together and Ireland
really is one of the top fishing holiday destinations worldwide.
Angling
Hints
Angling Season
Salmon and Sea Trout
The statutory opening date is January 1, but only a small
number of fisheries open on that date and sea-trout fishing
is not worth pursuing until April on some fisheries and
until June on most. The statutory closing date is September
30, with some exceptions.
Brown Trout
The statutory opening date is the February 15, but some
waters do not open until March and others until April.
Closing dates also vary, although many close at the end of
September; some loughs stay open until October 12.
Licences and Fishing Permits
The angler is legally required to be in possession of a
licence when fishing for salmon or sea trout. They can be
bought from a number of sources, including fishing tackle
shops and fishery offices. The price and the duration of a
licence will vary.
A
licence does not confer a right to fish; this requires a
fishing permit that must be obtained separately.
Anglers fishing for brown trout in the Northern and Upper
Shannon Fisheries Regions are currently legally required to
be in possession of a share certificate.
The
majority of waters are owned either privately or by the
State. A fishing permit issued by the owner gives the
possessor a right to fish for varying periods ranging from a
day to a season. Some fisheries may not require permits.
Irish
waters are usually reached by passing through farmland and
anglers are allowed this access by courtesy of local
farmers. They will give a warm welcome but please respect
their property; leave no litter and close all gates.
Angling and Fly Fishing schools and courses
An angling holiday is not only a time to catch fish and
learn about new waters, it is also an opportunity to learn
new skills and refine existing ones. There are a number of
fly-fishing schools around Ireland where the beginner can
learn the rudiments of the sport and the experienced angler
can hone his or her skills. And even a seasoned fly-dresser
will benefit from exposure to techniques required to produce
traditional and modern Irish flies. The following subjects
are covered: tackle selection; the theory and practice of
fly casting with single and double handed rods; wet fly, dry
fly and nymph fishing, salmon fishing, fly tying etc.
The
schools are solely concerned with salmon and trout fishing.
Most are attached to quality fisheries or have access to
them, so participants can put their lessons into practice
with a good chance of catching fish.
Fishing Methods for River Trout Fishing
The three most common methods of fly-fishing for Irish river
trout are wet fly, dry fly and nymph fishing:
- The
use of a wet fly may be the only way to attract the
attention of trout which spend much of their time near the
river bed grubbing for caddis larvae, nymphs, snails,
shrimp, etc. The wet fly is also useful in early spring when
trout feed near the surface in fast broken water. This
technique is best employed in rough water, whether in fast
runs or in pools rippled by strong winds.
- The
dry fly is productive on Irish rivers from about April, when
the trout become more active and the first hatches of
ephemeroptera begin. May and June are the peak months for
the dry fly, although it continues to be very effective
during the evening rise, and during daytime fishing in
September.
-
Upstream nymph fishing is challenging and exciting. It is
often employed to tempt trout lying deep in water.
The
majority of Irish trout streams have undergone arterial
drainage schemes in the past, and this has resulted in high
banks in places. It is best to fish from the bank, but in
places this is impossible, so chest or body waders are now
an essential part of the equipment of a river angle. A
lifejacket should be worn when wading in rivers.
Notes on fishing tackle for use while Game Fishing in
Ireland
For salmon fly-fishing, double-handed rods (13ft.-15ft.) are
the norm on big rivers and on spate rivers when in flood.
Single-handed rods (9 1/2ft.-11ft.) are suitable for low
water summer fishing and for lough fishing from a boat. At
least two matching fly lines will be required, a floating
line and an intermediate or sinking tip line.
Most
anglers have their own preferences for rods and lines for
river trout fishing. A 71/2 ft.-9ft. rod is usually
adequate, matched to a floating line.
Longer
rods (9 1/2ft.-11ft.) are best for loughs style fishing from
a boat for brown trout, trout or salmon. At least two lines
will be required - a floating line and an intermediate or
sinking tip line.
Dapping natural insects is a popular Irish form of lough
fishing from a boat. A long light Rod (at least 14ft.) and a
blow line are used and can usually be hired at angling
centres.
Chest
waders are recommended for all river fishing and a life
jacket should always be worn.
Most
Irish towns have fishing tackle shops where leaders and
flies may be bought. The bigger towns and cities have good
shops with a full range of rods, reels and clothing. Irish
fly patterns for salmon and trout have long been famous and
the visiting angler may wish to collect a selection to try
in their traditional setting. Fishing tackle shops can be
excellent centres for angling information, especially local
information and will usually supply fishing permits for
local waters.
Irish
loughs are sometimes rocky, and can be very hazardous when
swept by the strong westerly winds. A boatman is the best
guarantor of safety, but even so each angler in a boat
should wear a lifejacket. Anglers who go afloat without the
aid of a boatman should only do so with great care after
taking local advice.
SURFING
surfingireland.net is
growing into irishsurfer.com. It is an amateur website, run
by a collection of Irish surfers about surf and surfing in
Ireland.
The Irish Surfing
Association (ISA) is the National Governing Body for the
sport of surfing in the thirty-two counties of Ireland
representing the following disciplines, surfing,
long-boarding, knee-boarding, body-boarding, body surfing
and skim boarding.
Weather Forecast
Weather Forecasts are broadcast daily on RTE Radio and
Television. Check programme guides in the daily newspapers
for times. They are also available on Aertel. Telephone
weather forecasts are available from the Irish
Meteorological Service -
Met Éireann.
Before the Handgun Ban in
the UK I used to be a keen pistol shooter. This cartoon that
appeared in a newspaper after the ban sums up what a
complete waste of time the ban was. If it was such a good
idea how come people are still being shot by handguns in the
UK on a daily basis. Don't these criminals realise they are
illegal and they shouldn't have them.
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