SPORTS IN IRELAND

          I am college football fan and especially love the UCLA Bruins.  One of our planned activities on our trip to Ireland was to attend the college football game of Notre Dame University playing the Naval Academy at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Because of my love of college football and also basketball, I was interested to find out what role sports played in the lives of the Irish. 

          On our bus trip to Galway, our tour guide told us about Gaelic football and that they were now in the playoff games.  Each county in Ireland had a football team and the people of the county showed their support.  Galway’s team was in the playoffs and there was a big banner in the middle of Quay Street (where shops and restaurants are) encouraging their team to win.  The All Ireland Senior Football Final would be held on the 3^rd Sunday in September.  I am guessing that this is akin to our Super Bowl (I’m sure not televised all over the world but probably just as important to the Irish!).

          The other sport I learned about was hurling. According to the GAA.ie website, “hurling is believed to be the world’s oldest field game.”  The stick used in hurling is called a “hurley” and is curved outwards.  The ball (which is called a sliotar) is about the size of a hockey ball.  I don’t understand all the rules but there are goalposts involved and the scoring values are similar to those used in Gaelic football.

          As I mentioned before, I did have the opportunity to attend the “Emerald Isle Classic” American college football game between Notre Dame and Navy.   The Aviva Stadium is only 2 ½ years old and is very futuristic looking.  It was fun being in a smaller stadium (seating 40,000 compared to 100,000).  While Notre Dame wasn't designated as the home team, they did wear Adidas shoes that were the colors of the  Irish flag.  The Fighting Irish did win the game and began their undefeated season.

The Decision to Go

        I have this intense desire to visit the homelands of my ancestors.  It is as if the countries of Ireland, Germany and Poland are calling me “home”.  It doesn’t matter that I was born in the US, as was my parents and grandparents!  I think on some subconscious level it is my attempt to connect to my great grandparents – to as it were – “to take a walk in their shoes”.  Since I never had the opportunity to meet them, at least maybe I could learn a little bit about them.

          Eighteen months ago, my older brother proposed the idea that my husband and I should join him and his wife on a trip to Ireland.  My brother (as was my Dad) is a big Notre Dame University fan and they had a football game scheduled for Sept. 1^st, 2012 in Dublin, Ireland, playing the Naval Academy team.  While my football allegiances lie with my alma mater, the UCLA Bruins, this was an opportunity too great to pass up.  He even sweetened the deal by allowing me to select the itinerary for the trip. 

          I did a bit of research and decided that among the choices – Galway, Claire or Kerry (Belfast was never even in my consideration), that I would select Galway as the 2^nd city in our 2 city tour.  You see the trip was a planned tour so while we wouldn’t have to worry about transportation from one place to another or accommodations, it would be limiting in where we could visit.  Neither County Mayo nor County Meath (the birthplaces of my great grandparents) were choices for the tour.  I am guessing that means these aren’t the most favorite tourist spots! 

          However, County Galway is just south of County Mayo so I would be close to my ancestral homeland.  Does this actually count?  Well, at that moment I rationalized just stepping on Irish soil would be enough.  The big bonus to Galway was that I could also see the magnificent Cliffs of Moher.  Now, I do know that the Cliffs are actually in County Claire but they offered tours from Galway.  So after selecting side tours – one to the Cliffs and the Burren and another one in Dublin, I paid my deposit and went on with my daily life for the next 18 months. 

NOTE: The next 10 or so posts will be about my trip to Ireland – the wonderful discoveries, the amazing people and their culture, and a very special surprise side trip that led me to my ancestral “home town”.