IU students learn how to Gaelic hurl

Tim Fick has a love for hurling, and he wants to share his love with anyone and everyone, especially students at IU.

While visiting Ireland in the ‘90s, Fick, a Bloomington resident, went to a hurling match. He said he was fascinated by the passion and skill of the players. During the match, he said he saw a player running off the pitch with blood on his forehead and a smile on his face while fans cheered him on. Fick was convinced he wanted to play the game.

Fick, also known as “Concannon” in the hurling club, bought a hurl and a sliotar – two pieces of equipment used in gaelic hurling – when he returned home and started to learn the game. Six years ago, he met Stephen Quigley at Irish Fest and the two, along with others, started a hurling club in Indianapolis. Currently, Fick is in the process of making the hurling club official at IU. He said he hopes once the club becomes official, more players will learn about hurling and want to play.

Quigley, now a Bloomington resident, was the former coach of North Central High School’s hurling team in Indianapolis. He originally became interested in the sport when he did his student teaching in Glanmire, Cork, Ireland, in 1999.

“My supervising teacher coached the hurling team and insisted that I come and watch the games,” Quigley said.

When he returned home from Ireland, he started making sticks and playing the game, eventually meeting Fick.

Quigley said he enjoys hurling because it is a great skills game. He said he also always finds the challenge of something new and difficult enticing.

Hurling was developed in Ireland about 2,400 years ago and has since become one of the most popular sports in that country. The game is played on a large pitch with 15 players on a side. Players use a hurl, which looks like a stick, and a sliotar, which is like a soft baseball, Fick said.

The purpose of the game is to hit the sliotar through the goal. The goals look like a soccer goal with uprights at both ends, and if a ball is hit through the uprights, it is one point. Fick said if a player hits the sliotar into the goal, it is three points.

Jake Hawkins, a freshman member of the Bloomington club, learned the sport from Quigley.

“He talked about hurling almost every day and kept asking me to play,” Hawkins said.

After playing at North Central, Hawkins continued to play hurling and found out about the club run by Fick and Quigley.

Freshman Meaghan Reed, who played field hockey in high school, joined the club when Hawkins told her hurling was very similar to field hockey.

“He heard I played field hockey and said that I should try hurling because the two sports had a lot in common,” she said.

Reed said she would describe hurling as a combination of field hockey, lacrosse and baseball. She said being one of four girls in the club has its advantages.

“The guys aren’t as rough on the girls, and girls are a bit more graceful playing the game,” she said.

Fick said he also thinks learning the game is a great way to learn about Irish culture.

“I tell people that if they want to learn about the nature of the Irish people, all they need to do is see a hurling match,” he said.  “That will tell them everything they need to know.”