But it's a good atmosphere. As a tourist, he says it wasn't hard to find a place to watch the game. Irish software engineers like himself know the lay of Silicon Valley. Ireland looms large in the American imagination as a greener, gentler, friendlier land. This may be because most of have never watched a hurling match, which is a mix of rugby, soccer, and field hockey with some light facial wounds thrown in.
Players kick, catch, and, with curled sticks, whack a baseball-sized ball.
The sticks swing wildly and the ball travels fast, yet only a few of the players wear helmets. An opposing player, not liking his intentions, will use stick and body to thwart him. It's a wonder any of them have a tooth to chew with. Few in Fibbar's on this Sunday morning need any explanation of what is going on. Almost to a person, the crowd is Irish.