Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Hurling, Camogie & Shinny

Dad played Shinny when he was a kid. My Coal Hill (home of Wobblies & United Mine Workers) cousin, Dorothy, fell in love with E.L. of Hartman, a scab town. They chose to live on neutral ground in Paris. They, with their then teenage daughter, Edye, heard the Clancy brothers sing The Bold Thady Quill. Edye said that Thady reminded her of Cousin Virgil. All agreed. I listened and found that I had all of Thad Quill’s virtues except prowess in hurling. I finally took a pilgrimage to Ireland and watched a match. I was so taken with it that I got my own hurley and sliotar and played with myself on the football field. Camogie has been described as "like hurling, except that in fights the hair may be pulled as well." See, HURLING FOR FOREIGN DUMMIES.

Lately, I started wondering if the Scots had a similar game. I found out about Shinty which is also called Shinny and had come full circle.
Cousin Jim's brother-in-law Garry believes that the Irish came to the Americas long before the Vikings and either taught the Native Americans hurling which became lacrosse or shinny or learned the games from the native Americans and took it back to Ireland. The ancient drawing attached gives him some credibility.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the kind words. The next time you're in Kenmare stop at the Landsdowne and raise a pint with me.