Irish sport of hurling comes to South Whitehall

Called the "fastest game on grass," the sport of hurling originated in Ireland but is growing in popularity in this country. The Lehigh Valley soon will have an opportunity to see it up close when the Allentown Hibernians Hurling Club hosts a tournament on July 23 at Haines Mill park in South Whitehall.

The seeds for the club were planted when co-founder Jeff Purtell's brother, Jim, attended an Irish festival in Milwaukee and brought back hurling equipment for the two of them to use. Jeff Purtell, 43, of Emmaus  contacted Patrick O'Donnell, 28, of Allentown, whom he had met at a gathering of the Lehigh Valley division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, an Irish-Catholic fraternal society. The Allentown Hibernians Hurling Club was founded by O’Donnell and Jeff Purtell in 2008. Players in the club range in age from 18 to 48. 

So what is hurling? People who play hurling use a stick called a hurley to hit a ball called a sliotar, pronounced like “slitter.”

“It’s very addictive,” O’Donnell said, adding that hurling intrigues him because it has aspects of other sports in it. The game shares some characteristics of lacrosse, baseball and hockey.

Players can scoop up the sliotar with the hurley, catch it in the air, carry the sliotar in hand for four steps, strike it on the ground and hit it with their hands. Players strive to hit or kick the sliotar over the goal’s crossbar for one point or, better yet, hit or kick it into the goal’s net for three points.

The club's hurling season lasts from March through Labor Day weekend. The Allentown Hiberians' skills have improved greatly, Purtell said, thanks to the coaching of Paul McCarthy of Philadelphia. The club plans to play in competition in San Francisco over Labor Day weekend.

The Hibernians club has a roster of 30 players. Each game consists of 15 players on the field for each side.

O’Donnell acknowledged that “it looks rough and dangerous” to newcomers. Once a player begins, “you realize where to be at the right time," he said. 

Purtell said, “The fitness level is amazing. You’re always moving. As more people learn about it, it’s going to continue to grow in popularity.”

The team is funded by three sponsors: Armetta’s Italian Restaurant in Emmaus, and Ringer’s Roost and Jack Callahan’s Alehouse in Allentown.

Practices are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, plus Sundays when games aren’t scheduled. They practice on two fields: Haines Mill Field in South Whitehall and Klines Lane Field in Emmaus.

The Allentown Hibernians Hurling Club also has a youth club for hurling and gaelic football for ages 6-14.

For more information about the adult and youth teams, go to pahurling.com.

THE TOURNAMENT:

The tournament will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. on July 23 at Haines Mill field at 105 Haines Mill Road in South Whitehall.

Play includes The Allentown Hibernians Hurling Club plus teams from Washington, D.C., Hoboken, N.J., Baltimore, Md. and Pittsburgh. The Allentown Hiberians will meet the team from Hoboken in the first game.  

Each team will play four games.