Huzzah Hurling

Finally, my post of the Hurling match, Cork vs. Wexford. We began by meeting in City Centre. For once in our lives we were actually on time. We beat Edward in fact. One of my favorite parts of the excursion began shortly after we all arrived. Yay icecream!! Thus I learned of a new awesome icecream shop, which I probably never would have entered otherwise. Besides thinking it was only a pizza shop, it's also named Gino's, which, when pronounced a certain way, doesn't sound very appealing. So father Edward bought all of us two scoops of icecream each (butterscotch and honeycomb for me).




I think eating that much icecream plus walking the five-million miles to the stadium made me sick.

Edward never actually got around to explaining the intricacies of hurling, so I feel at liberty to interpret the game however I want. Edward first led us to the standing only section, but after some all-around dissenting, we were soon sitting. The seats on our side of the stadium, where most of the wexford folk were, were yellow.


Cork started off strong, immediately jumping to the lead in points. There was actually a person in the sign changing out the numbers.


We all watch intently as some players run this way, some players run that way, and some players just walk.

Opposing team members pair up and are apparently meant to stick by each other throughout the game. Obviously that one guy lost his opponent and is going home in disgust.

Wexford scores points, but not enough to overtake Cork!

The sunshine comes out. We look on in awe.

We score more points (by hitting the balls into the soccer like goals or through the football like poles at the end of the field).
The players play on, except that one guy, who has stopped to stretch his legs.

Some players stop and bask in the sun, because otherwise it was ridiculously cold. Or maybe they don't know how the game works either and have halted in confusion.

Uh oh, green shirted referee gives somebody a foul. Both teams earned their share.

Then this little kid goes out onto the field to show them how hurling is really done! Or, a horde of kids rushed the field at halftime to play on the vacated grass.

Play continues. The Wexford team is coming up fast!

Oh no! The score is tied!!

Edward cries. He can't handle the stress.

Ahhh! They're gaining!

Meanwhile, my shoes pose for a photo op against the neat yellow chairs. Don't they make a cute pair? (ahahaha! cute pair! get it? pair? like a pair of shoes...)

Wexford continues to have the one up.

No worries. The sky opened up shortly thereafter and the heavens shined down their blessings upon Cork.



Cork won and a battalion of children swarmed the field to celebrate.


Woo-hoo! Apparently we were winning the whole time because we had extra points from a goal we made. Here are some videos to give even more insight to the ways of hurling.

The players compete for the ball, but don't worry, the girl behind me assures them they of "loads o time."

In the following video you can hear the obnoxious group of young boys chanting for Wexford. You can hear their punk natures coming through can't you? I felt they insulted the refs and cork team more than necessary.


Below, a cork player hits the ball back into play.

Last but not least I took some pics on the walk home.

This is a strangely skinny building outside Cork City Centre.

This is one of the few metal plaques in the sidewalk near the river. I don't know what they're for, but they look neat.

Finally, all manner of neat things grows out of the old stone walls by the riverside.

Sorry it took me so long to post about the hurling match. Better late than never. Soon we'll be off to Prague and will probably have more pictures than can ever be uploaded to photobucket. Doesn't mean I won't try!