Described as 'aerial
rugby', hurling almost certainly began as a pagan fertility rite,
heralding the coming of Spring by the casting up of a silver ball
in honour of the sun.
With
the coming of Christianity it became a game and the St. Columb
Green Book, (parish records) contains the following entry of great
historical significance, '1594 John Menheere owith for a silver
ball dd to Tobye at his instance and upon his word xs' (ten shillings!).
Hurling
is fast, exciting and seemingly rather rough. The town's streets
and alleyways and the surrounding countryside are all places where
the ball can be carried on the afternoon of Shrove Tuesday (starting
at 4.30) with a second game at the same time on the following
Saturday week.
2001 was an unique
year as it saw the first ever postponement of the hurling on the
Shrove Tuesday, when town and country folk alike came to an agreement
not to stage the hurl due to the Foot-and-Mouth epidemic.
At
the present time new silver hurling balls are given by those who
have a desire to retain the 'old' ball as a memento of a personal
or family triumph. Hurling balls are still made locally by Colin
Rescorla, a local craftsman, using a time-honoured practice, handed
down from previous generations, rivetting a band and outer casing
of sterling silver to an applewood core. The finished missile weighs
16 ounces (0.4536 kg).Come to St. Columb at Shrovetide and see this
ancient game for yourselves and drink 'silver beer' afterwards in
all the town's pubs!
The
text and pictures on this web page
are taken from a book produced by ourselves for local author
Ivan Rabey
