OMG...he earned it.

The poor bucko that brought four visiting (obviously some degree of his relatives) Americans into McHugh's in Liscannor on Sunday to watch the hurling. God he got them the best seats and all, two men and two women. Second cousin's once removed I'd say but not first generation.....a bit removed for his comfort.

Well fair play to yer man (who obviously had timed this pub arrival to perfection - in between the Burren and the Cliffs) as he tried to sell the unfolding spectacle to his guests as best he could. Three points for a goal (green flag), one point for a puck over the crossbar and between the posts (white flag) etc. The men seemed to enjoy the fray unfolding on the big screen but the women were totally sea...didn't even realise there was a 'ball' involved until a side line puck was awarded at some stage when one remarked that "oh my God there's the ball".

Our man was gettin a bit frustrated at this stage....too many questions from the relations taking his focus off the game (while all the time telling the Yanks that he only stopped at the pub for the game for their sake so that they could see this unique Irish game). They were having none of it however and proceeded to order soup and sandwiches (with numerous questions as to the provenence of same from the poor bar girl, whose attention gravitated towards the big screen also).

Then apocalypse nearly happened. One of the Yanks, and he a large one too, stood up to smoke a cheroot!! In the process he blocked the line of vision for half present. His poor Irish cousin advised him quickly (and as politely as possible) that it be better that he smoke sitting down - it be more comfortable etc. But yer man was having none of it...said he needed to stretch the legs......!!!!

Then the f*****g and blinding started and the poor Irish cousin got fierce nervy altogether and implored his long, long lost relative to please, please be re-seated. The two women, who were now sheepishly snuggled up to each other as if anticipating a shock and awe experience, looked scarified, while the other cousin (actually totally engrossed in the game threw out a query as to what the umpire was brandishing a yellow strip of paper for) had not a bother on him and ignored the surrounding bedlam completely.

The big man eventually got the message that all was not well and resumed his seat. Irish cousin's sweat dried up (a little)..then the satellite went down!!!! Mayhem for all of fifty seconds.

Coverage returned with a landscape view of Croker and the huge crowd present and this caught the imagination of the two women. "My Gawd, there's a big crowd there", opined one. "Huge stadium", remarked the other..."for such a small country".

This last remark was the bulls-eye for the Irish cousin as his chest expanded and he extolled tales of 70, nay 80 and even 90 thousand souls attending games in the Páirc. All amateur too. Local grass roots. Blood, sweat and tears. He was in his element and the Yanks were enthralled with such prehistoric rhetoric. This was what they had come for...the real Ireland.

He missed the pulsating final minutes due to his now captive audience's demands for more oral culture....! They left bang on the final whistle. I'd swear I even saw a rainbow with a bearded man and a crock of gold as they walked out the side entrance!!!

Gaillimh Abú.

dingle2 (Kerry) - Posts: 278 - 04/09/2017 23:38:11    2042828

Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 05/09/2017 00:53:48    2042840

Great visuals there haha.

Easiest to describe it to them as Quidich without the broomsticks.

GameOfTyrones (Tyrone) - Posts: 469 - 05/09/2017 01:32:15    2042846

seanie_boy (Tyrone) - Posts: 4235 - 05/09/2017 07:12:20    2042856

avonali (Dublin) - Posts: 1974 - 05/09/2017 08:16:30    2042858

Was it Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman?

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9697 - 05/09/2017 13:00:02    2042950

John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara? Podge and Rodge? Brigid and Eamon?

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9697 - 05/09/2017 13:01:16    2042951

lilywhite1 (Kildare) - Posts: 2988 - 05/09/2017 14:42:20    2042999

Bord Fáilte want your number

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8585 - 05/09/2017 15:05:30    2043011

Suas Sios (None) - Posts: 1550 - 05/09/2017 16:03:12    2043039

I have brought foreigners to a championship hurling game but no way would I bring them to a game in which Galway were involved because they would ask too many questions and interfere and distract me from my passion. You can only bring a foreign person to a hurling game in which you are a neutral, otherwise you'll end up tearing your hair out.

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1902 - 05/09/2017 16:40:24    2043060

You get a lump of a stick and whack the small hard ball anywhere. The guys who don't have the ball hit each other with their sticks. You call it a sport. But it's really only faction fighting (check wiki) for the common day. Supported by those in caps and coats aka hurling men. All single of course. :)

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 05/09/2017 17:02:45    2043076

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1902 - 05/09/2017 17:39:55    2043102

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 05/09/2017 20:35:00    2043154

FootblockREF (Monaghan) - Posts: 563 - 12/09/2017 12:47:16    2045227

Llaw_Gyffes (Mayo) - Posts: 1113 - 12/09/2017 13:19:06    2045243

Tell them to google it, saves you hastle;)

PyatPree (Cork) - Posts: 376 - 12/09/2017 20:42:28    2045380

That reminds me of a story I heard about John Wayne when he was filming The Quiet Man in Mayo.
He was brought to a hurling game in Mayo or maybe Galway, and his guide says to him, "well John how would you like to be out there with a hurley stick ?" John replies " I sure as hell would rather be out there with a hurley stick than without one"

Hypo (UK) - Posts: 43 - 12/09/2017 23:11:24    2045454