UNESCO hurl-abaloo has meant puck all
GAAGO KILLING OUR RITUAL
IN another life, I went down a fork in the road. Figuring working in film seemed cool, I enrolled in a course in Galway.
Came up with a screenplay and one of the tutors on the course read it.
She kindly let me know that film wasn’t for me. That tutor was Lelia Doolan, who’s had a remarkable life. She’s 90 now and marked it with a parachute jump for Médecins Sans Frontières. A truly great Irishwoman.
THERE was dancing in the streets when the news became public.
Well, in the streets of the handful of counties who play the game to a serious level, anyway.
Josepha Madigan even got involved. She is a prototype south Dublin Fine Gaeler but she became Hurling Woman for a day in 2019.
In February of that year, UNESCO designated hurling as a Protected Cultural Activity.
Madigan was Minister for Culture at the time and she declared that “the inscription of hurling on the list is a wonderful opportunity to share a cherished aspect of Irish culture with others”.
Plenty of speeches were made at the time. GAA blazers patted each other on the back, the world had shown its love for stick and sliotar. Hallelujah! So what else is on that UNESCO list? Reggae is there. Fair enough. So is the tango. Not bad, there should always be room for dances that are pretend riding.
Uilleann piping is another Irish one that’s made the cut. We’ll draw a discreet veil over that one.
Not quite as bad as bagpipes, but not much easier on the ear, either.
Arabic coffee is there too. No idea why. As is shrimp fishing on horseback. Don’t knock it until you try it, I suppose.
Our favourite on the list is beer culture in Belgium. The great and good of UNESCO have agreed that this is a Protected Cultural Activity.
Beer culture is a polite way of describing skulling pints.
We could be here all day going through the UNESCO list, but one more is worth highlighting.
Tugging rituals. Presumably between consenting adults.
There is a serious point to this column — I promise! — and that is the disconnect between the guff of that day five years ago and where we are now.
Sale
Most people in Ireland have missed much of the hurling championship — including Saturday’s classic that saw Cork beat Limerick — because games were put behind the GAAGO paywall.
Madigan’s fine words about “sharing a cherished aspect of Irish culture” ring hollow.
GAA chiefs made this decision, the buck stops with them.
This is a world where it seems that now everything is for sale.
We have been bullied into accepting that, but it should not be the case.
Hurling has precious few games of note every year. They deserve to be available to all.
They are part of our culture. Just ask UNESCO.