I have played both, and soccer, for as long as I can care to remember and in terms of skill I would have hurling as the most skilful followed by soccer, with football third. I would put gaelic football at the top in terms of fitness levels required though, don't think there is any argument there. They all require different skills of course but it would be easier to take up gaelic football in your teenage years than it would hurling. I played football in England and we had lots of fellas playing who had come across from sports such as rugby union, league and soccer and were competent gaelic football players, but the hurling team was made up primarily of boys who had played it all their lives.

And before anyone starts I love gaelic football, but I find it easier to watch a poor hurling match than an above average football one.

frankbhoy77 (Antrim) - Posts: 1300 - 27/03/2014 16:56:28    1565894

frankbhoy77 - I was down in the lovely Mayo for the in-laws 'Gathering' last summer and there were hurls and footballs galore for the weans to play with throughout the course of the week. I was amazed at how quick they all picked up Hurling and were firing balls accurately to each other over great distances. Unfortunately the same couldn't be said for their football skills and kicking from the hands left a lot to be desired at the end of the week.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 27/03/2014 17:14:11    1565908

Should have said - they weren't Irish weans

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 27/03/2014 17:23:29    1565915

Treaty_Exile
County: Limerick
Posts: 220

1565778
If Brolly said it, it must be true!


You beat me to it.

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 27/03/2014 17:28:52    1565918

Offside- that's fine, fair play to them. I have a one year old son who can kick a football but holds a hurley the wrong way up and cannot strike the ball with it at all. We can all have stories to back up either side of the argument, I am only talking from my own perspective. I coach both also by the way and, in my opinion, the skills of gaelic football are easier to teach and to pick up. I'm sure you have found that not to be the case from your own experience but there ya go.

PS: get those youngsters up to antrim with their hurls, by god we could do with them ;)

frankbhoy77 (Antrim) - Posts: 1300 - 27/03/2014 17:34:56    1565924

Never doubted it myself.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 27/03/2014 18:36:09    1565955

Im reminded of how stupid some dogs can be , you take a bone pretend to throw it hide it behind your back and the dog makes a short run before realising somethings not right , repeat action again and again and again etc etc etc dog keeps falling for it .
Now Hoganstand equivalent is are you ready on your marks " hurling or football " now go fido go Gud boy gud boy .

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 27/03/2014 18:44:12    1565961

I suppose that's what I was getting at frankbhoy that rather than the one game being harder than the other that it is down to the individual. I too have played both and know there are different skill sets which is why I would never say one is more skilful than the other. As for getting them to Antrim don't think the County board would sanction the travelling from America.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 27/03/2014 19:57:36    1565991

frankbhoy77

And before anyone starts I love gaelic football, but I find it easier to watch a poor hurling match than an above average football one.

Well if you watched the football and hurling finals on paddys day the football was significantly more skillful

Iv played both all my life and i think they are simply two completely different sports. I mean hurling doesnt get compared to soccer or rugby or even its distant cousin shinty.

Why is comparission to football so necessary. The physical make up of hurling is different and the skill set is different because the ball moves quicker in hurling the thought process and decision process isnt as quick the scanning of the field isnt as important. But then the hand skills required in hurling arent in football. As a spectacle football went way down in recent years but Brolly is actually right the introduction of the black card has improved football big time. Where football has grown into a more expansive game hurling now seems to have gotten very bogged down with alot of frees and scrums and pulling and dragging. but the dry sod should improve this.

So in conclusion here are me thoughts.

Brolly is kinda right. But i think both games are fantastic in their own rights and both have their flaws, But mostly i think its unfair to be comparing them anyway

ritchie (Cork) - Posts: 346 - 28/03/2014 17:01:00    1566339

I think frankbhoy summed it up for me anyway, I played both and was pretty much as good at one as I was at the other. Which would I consider to have the more silken skills? Without a doubt, hurling!

I have spoken with many non-Irish and the general view would be that hurling is certainly more eye-catching! They don't seem to like the big ball much!

I am football first by the way, well I'm a dub!

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8812 - 28/03/2014 17:50:07    1566363

Maybe in Mayo, but not in Kilkenny.

pcworld (Mayo) - Posts: 549 - 28/03/2014 18:29:17    1566378

ritchie
County: Cork
Posts: 94

1566339 frankbhoy77

And before anyone starts I love gaelic football, but I find it easier to watch a poor hurling match than an above average football one.

Well if you watched the football and hurling finals on paddys day the football was significantly more skillful


Ritchie, I would assume having copied and pasted my comment that you had actually read what I said??? The finals on st Patricks day cannot be related to my point. the football final was much better than an above average football match and (in my opinion) the hurling was more better than a poor match. So I stick by what I said " I would much rather watch a poor hurling match than an above average Football match".

frankbhoy77 (Antrim) - Posts: 1300 - 28/03/2014 21:12:14    1566435

Hurling is most skilful field game in the world. Really can't see how anyone can dispute that. Football would prob struggle to get into top 5.

The high level of skill required to play hurling has hindered its development and growth throughout Ireland. If hurling was as easy to play as football it would be a 32 county sport as football and indeed soccer now are.

That being said the football league and cship ( before last year) is far more competitive that the hurling one which makes it more entertaining. Unless the hurling league is restructured for the benefit of the game football will prob leap ahead in terms of popularity.

disillusiondfan (Limerick) - Posts: 4279 - 29/03/2014 09:48:54    1566477

This is a needless argument. football is crap. hurling is great but who really cares what is better as were all shrouded in our own prejudices fueled by whatever clubs we played for.
Brolly is predjudiced against the enemey of his game. Hurling is the enemy to most football people and the opposite is the cas to hurlers. sad people

Fishermantom (Limerick) - Posts: 569 - 29/03/2014 12:08:38    1566546

Hurling is in a dangerous place atm. The reluctance and down right resistance of "hurling people" to having their own rules applied in games makes the whole thing wishy washy with refs being bullied into letting blatant fouls go to make the game look free flowing.

Floops (Dublin) - Posts: 1623 - 29/03/2014 12:58:06    1566568

Why is hurling the skilful field game in the world!? I think elephant soccer is! Played in India....to control a massive animal and get em to kick balls.

Joking aside...,outrageous statement about hurling

JayP (Dublin) - Posts: 1772 - 29/03/2014 12:58:55    1566569

Yes football is now greater than hurling; and its all down
to the greatest team of all time ever!

TheGateKeeper (Tyrone) - Posts: 2843 - 29/03/2014 13:41:23    1566583

In fairness to Brolly, he played hurling for his club & county as well as football. He's doing his usual headline-grabbing thing he loves to do. 2 matches in Croker on St. Patrick's Day, one mediocre, the other very good, doesn't change anything. I hope football does become less negative because it can be a great game to watch & to play, just as hurling can be (& often is).

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 29/03/2014 13:46:21    1566584