BUTTE - East Middle School students are learning the exciting and slightly dangerous sport of hurling and a little bit about Irish culture.
“Oh man, hurling’s known as the fastest game on grass. It’s an ancient Celtic warrior sport they call it,” Montana Griz Hurling Club member Myles Maloney said.
WATCH: 3,000 years of Irish history came to Butte today
Members of the Montana Grizzlies Hurling Club taught East Middle students about this 3,000-year-old national sport of Ireland. Students ran drills to learn some of the basics of the sport.
“It was pretty challenging trying to balance the ball on the ax thingy. I forgot the name of it. It’s called a hurl,” student Castiel Flansburg said.
The small ball used in hurling is called a sliotar — nearly as solid as a baseball — and players catch it with their bare hands, no gloves. I even gave it a try, and the sting was real.
“Maith thu,” the students shouted.
Students also learned to shout, “Well done!” and other words in the Irish language thanks to Abi Moriarty of the University of Montana Irish Studies Program. She comes of Kerry in Ireland, where the Irish language is very personal to her because her grandparents spoke the language.
“You know, my grandparents who had to leave it behind and move to different areas and have to live their lives through English just to survive, and it makes me sad. You know, people in Ireland died for this language, and it’s really our duty to keep her alive,” Moriarty said.
The Grizzlies Hurling Club will host an exhibition game at 2 p.m. in Butte on St. Patrick’s Day.
