Heated discussion regarding the sport in this photo!

[Newbie in SA]

  Good Morning Everyone

Good morning everyone

Please will someone put an end to a rather heated discussion that is fast developing regarding the sport that is played by the young men in the photo.  The photo is of my father in what I believe is his matric year at Kilkenny College or perhaps shortly thereafter (circa 1939).   I think they are playing field hockey, but a local historian, from Irish descent is adamant this a partial Hurling team!

Kind Regards
Vanessa

[KGarrad]

Those aren't hurleys they are holding!

I would guess at shinty or hockey?

[Sharon01]

Hi,

Compare with this photo from the same college, to me the sticks look completely different but I am no expert on either.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0v7h/


Sharon

[KGarrad]

Having a re-think!

Shinty is played 12-a-side, and is a Scottish game.

The photo has 11 players - so almost certainly a hockey team.

Ireland has a long history of hockey, the Irish Hockey Union (for the men's game) being founded in 1886

A mention of Kilkenny:
http://homepage.eircom.net/~kilkennyhockey/history.html

Quote from that site: While most of the other teams struggled, Kilkenny grew. in part, this was due to the presence in the city of Kilkenny College, a stronghold of hockey in Leinster.

[Greensleeves]

I agree it's a hockey team; my father was an enthusiastic hockey player at that time.  Interesting that it is seldom played by men nowadays.

[KGarrad]

I agree it's a hockey team; my father was an enthusiastic hockey player at that time.  Interesting that it is seldom played by men nowadays.

WOT?!?! Are you serious?
GB men won an Olympic Gold  in recent years.
England men will be playing in the World League Semi-Finals later this month!
Men's clubs at Abergavenny, Aberystwyth, Brecon, Cardiff, Gwent, Llanishen & Caerphilly, Neath, Pembroke, Penarth, Swansea, Trinity St Davids (Lampeter) - to name just those in Wales!


As an added thought - Kilkenny College was essentially a Protestant College (although admitting other denominations).
Hurling is a Gaelic sport and, until a few years ago, predominantly Catholic!
I don't think the GAA allowed non-Catholics to take part?!

[Mike in Cumbria]

Definitely not hurley - the sticks are quite different.

[behindthefrogs]

"I think they are playing field hockey, but a local historian, from Irish descent is adamant this a partial Hurling team!"

Definitely a Hockey team.  Not a Field Hockey team as this is an American name for the game because they insist on calling "Ice Hockey", Hockey.

As to it not being played by men, that is nonsense.  Our local club , Reading, runs eleven men's teams and seven women's teams.

[Newbie in SA]

Thank you .. Mike, KGarrad, Greensleeves, Sharon, Behindthefrogs!!!!

I knew I would get a definitive answer if I asked! - Now I can really go in with gun blazing!