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Traditional Gaelic Sports by Cinaet Scotach Camogie A less violent version of hurling on a smaller field with a fifty minute time limit. Designed to be played by young women. Chariot Racing In the times before the large powerful horses capable of handling the weight of a rider the chariot was a favorite mode of transportation for the warrior aristocracy, in fact the use of chariots remained in vogue for some time due the prestige associated with them. In the story of the Tain Bo Cuailgne during a royal gathering, at which the Kings chariot team was winning every race, a boasting match was engaged in by the King and Crunniuc MacAgnomain. Crunniuc claimed that his pregnant wife could best the horses of Conchobhar MacNessa the king of the Ulaid. This slight was answered with a demand that this pregnant wife be brought forth to race the chariot of the King. The pregnant women was brought forth and she asked that she be first allowed to have her child but Conchobhar refused and the race was started. As she crossed the finish line she gave birth to twins. With her dying breath she cursed the King and all the men of Ulster to suffer the pangs of childbirth when they were in the hour of most danger. This pregant woman was the Goddess Macha. Football Gaelic Football is a game played with a soccer style ball which was originally developed from Hurley. It is played much in the same way as Hurley. In Scotlands Borders it was known as Futbawis. Over the years it has had a history thats has, at times caused the sport to become illegal in some areas. During a match in the late 16th century in which the Earl Bothwell and the Master of Marishal both took place in, a quarrel happened between the two noblemen. A duel was aranged only to be stopped by the King. Another incident in 1599 had six Armstrongs from the Borders travel south to have a match with some English lads. upon learning of the whereabouts of the Armstrongs, the Captain of Bewcastle, knowing the Armstrong reputation as reivers decided to capture the Scots while they were on English soil. He then assembled his men for an ambush but to his surprise the Armstrongs were tipped off and he found himself facing over 200 riders. Handball Irish handball is played in a four sided court similar to a raquetball court. The ball is struck with the plat of the palm. It was originally played against the sides of buildings and was brought to the US by emigrants who enjoyed the game in the blind alleys of large eastern cities of the US. Hurling A game of ancient origins played on a 150 X 80 meter field by to 15 player teams. A leather sliotar (ball) is struck with a ash stick called a caman or hurley over or under a cross bar of a goal post set up at either end of the playing field. Body checks are legal in the game but striking another player with your hurley or fist is not and such actions will get a player removed from the game. Hurley is mentioned in many of the old texts as a game greatly enjoyed by the young warriors to be of the gaelic tribes. When Cu Chullain (then named Setanta) first came to the residence of his uncle and King Conchobhar MacNessa, he joined in a game of hurley that was being played by the boys troop at Emain Macha. After at first being roughly treated by the boys he replyed in turn by making them all submit to his protection.It is with a hurley and a sliotar that Setanta slew the hound of Cullen as a child thus receiving his appellation Cu Chullain...Hound Of Cullen. An old variation of the game that was played until the nineteenth century was known as Hurling home. It was played between two villages with the goal being to drive the sliotar back to ones own main street to score. Needless to say this version covered alot of ground. It is also known as Shinty and Camanachd. Horse Racing In the Border area of Scotland one of the biggest attractions of the 16th century was horse racing. A common prize for finishing first in a contest was a bell. Although the authorities frowned on such an activity there was little they could do to stop it. Even though this type of activity tended to bring out the dregs of society it also attracted its share of the nobility as well, making it hard to put an end to it. Many a reiving expedition were planned at these races. As well as the rescue of Kinmount Willie Armstrong from Lord Scrope by the Lord Buccleuch as told in the Border ballad "Kinmount Willie". A fast horse was considered a fine commodity in the Borders region and the races were a good place to keep an eye out for a fine horse. Even the Wardens of the Marches would show up to scope out the prospects or even to purchase a horse from a local reiver. Road Bowling In this Irish past time an iron ball is thrown through a set course along the road. The winner is the contestant who need te least number of throws to complete the course. It is usually played on the road which is a hinderance to the drivers to be sure as well as a heath risk for the players, but it was played long be fore the automobile came to Ireland. Stickplay The stick is most likely mans first implement of self presevation and war. This is true with children as well. If you weren't hitting eachother with sticks or throwing rocks as a child you were in the minority. Many children in gaelic countries would learn the use of the sword by an early focus on playing with sticks. Although this was not an organized sport such as Hurley it played an important part in the learning of the young warriors to be. In the Scottish Highlands training with a single stick began in earnest at the age of six. The children being tutored in the art by their fathers. Wrestling Wrestling is among the oldest sports and combat arts known to mankind. Almost every society through the ages have practiced it in one form or another. In the early tales of the Fianna as well as the Red Branch there are many examples of wrestling in combat. As with many sports wrestling had its sportive and non-sportive aspects. When Cu Chullain first meets his son, Conlai, they engage in a wrestling bout before they engage in battle. The descriptions of their wrestling mirror the descriptions of wrestling in the Illiad of Homer. A form of Gaelic wrestling is still practiced at the Highland games. Sources: prepared by Cinaet Scothach |
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