New Hampshire Hurling Club To Be Honored by Boston Northeast GAA

By Rory O'Donnell
It could not be a more fitting tribute that on Sunday, May 25, Memorial Day Weekend, the Boston Northeast Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association will honor Concord New Hampshire's Barley House Wolves at the Irish Cultural Center, Canton Mass. The Barely House Wolves were originally formed 8 years ago by a group of Granite State veterans who had served a full year of combat duty in Iraq. Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion of the 172nd Mountain Infantry of the New Hampshire National Guard returned intact from their tour. Having been through a year together in the Middle East, the servicemen formed a hurling club as a way to stay connected as they adjusted to life post combat.

The Irish sport of Hurling has its roots on the warrior culture of ancient Ireland. It is referenced in the legend of Cu Chulainn, probably the most famous warrior of Celtic myth and lore. Raw and passionate, fast and furious, the game is played with an ash stick a hard leather covered ball. To be successful, skill, speed, precision, bravery, and teamwork are required. The returned veterans could not have picked a more appropriate sport to keep them together.

The club has grown from strength to strength since and membership keeps growing. Their story has been told on both sides of the Atlantic, and they have toured Ireland to visit the home of the GAA, Croke Park, as well as playing local clubs around the country. Hurley sticks and balls have been brought to the middle east when members have been deployed so as to keep their hurling skills sharp.

The club has in many ways pioneered the spread of the sport around the New England region. There are now 4 junior hurling clubs spread across 4 different states, each with membership that is mainly made up of Americans who have taken an interest in the sport. It makes for one of the most competitive divisional hurling championships in North America. The Wolves went all the way in 2012 to capture the North American trophy in Philadelphia, and will have teams competing for the national championships in 2 categories at the finals Labor Day weekend at the ICC.

On May 25 the Irish Consul General, Breandán O'Caollaí, Canton Police Chief, Kenneth Berkowitz, and Canton Fire Chief, Charles Doody, will be in attendance. There will also be plenty of action with all 8 senior gaelic football clubs taking the field for the opening games of the 2014 Boston Northeast championships.

One of the founder members and a driving force behind the club is Canton native, Lt.Col Ray Valas:

For those who have seen the realities of combat, Memorial Day carries a significance that cannot be captured in a phrase or a slogan. It evokes the sights, the smells, the memories, the emotions and experiences that are impossible for most of us to convey to anyone who has not seen the same horrors, joys, exhaustion, and exhilaration.

The brotherhood formed on the battlefield is one that is not easily recreated, and when we return from overseas we crave it... the assurance of common purpose and the knowing that your brother beside you will have your back no matter what.

There are few ways to find that brotherhood, and through hurling, many of us have. The ancient warrior roots of Hurling are still alive in the intensity of the match. You can see it in the elation of a victory or the utter disappointment in a loss. You see it in the emotion of a sliothar over the bar from sixty five, or a brilliant save in goal. In hurling, we can find that intensity.

There is also no easy way to express the openness, the inclusiveness, and the hospitality displayed by the Gaelic Athletic Association. An organization that has withstood such turmoil and challenge since the 1880's has every right to be parochial and exclusionary in its practice. Indeed, one might expect it, given what the GAA has faced and overcome. Yet, the Boston Board of the GAA welcomed us in with open arms, helped us develop, and made us a full fledged member club. In turn we have endeavored to honor the roots and tradition of this Irish institution. But we could never manage to return what they have given us through the sport of Hurling. How can you repay someone who has given you pride, purpose, and family?

So on this Memorial Day when we honor our Service members who have sacrificed all, we also must honor the GAA, which has unflinchingly offered us so much. Without a thought to anything in return, they gave this handful of Warriors something more than words can express. I know that to a man, we are all grateful.
Sincerely,
Lt Col Ray Valas

For more information about the Barley House Wolves Hurling Club, visit www.hurlingnh.com. For information about the Boston Gaelic Athletic Association visit www.bostongaa.com. Tweet

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