The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1893-01-21
GAELIC SPORTS.

GAELIC SPORTS. -,
From time immemorial athletic sports
of all kinds have been in vogue in Ire
land. During an interim of twenty years,
however, or from the collapse of the
Fenian organization to the formation OF
the Irish Land League by Michael Day-
lit, such popular sports as football, hurl-
| ing and other games fell into disuse, and
it was not until the late Mr.. Parnell,
Archbishop Croke and other Irish ma
| tionalists encouraged the establishment
of the Gaelic Athletic association and
| became it's patrons that the old games
were revived. At the present time every
county in Ireland has branch OF the
association and frequently one county is
pitted against the other to compete for
prizes and gain national celebrity.
| Thousands of people from miles around
turn out to witness the contests, and the
victors leave for their homes with the
huzzas of their admiring countrymen
ringing in their ears. The result Of the
sports thus revived is to make the young
men of Ireland fine samples of physical
prowees and manly activity, and in the
event of Home Rule being denied to the
Irish people by the parliament at Vest
! minister the British authorities would
find themselves confronted by an able
bodied race who would 'dare and do"
every thing to rescue Ireland from their
blighting grasp. It is only few years
ago since the Gaelic Athletic association
sent to this country delegation of fifty
athletes with the object of establishing
the sports in America. They gave exhi-
billions in several leading cities, and while
| not successful in the matter of attend
ance, still the object sought was attained,
namely, the establishment OF Gaelic
Athletic association of America which
has grown to large and vigorous pro-
PORTIONS. Sc"
A game of Gaelic football was recently
played at the Madison Square Gardens,
! New York, which made favorable ina
preston on all who witnessed it. New
| Yorks membership in the association
consists of fifteen clubs, with five unat-
| tached clubs, and in those twenty clubs
there are probably 1880 strong-limbed
young men, nearly, all of whom played
the game in Ireland. The best football
teams in New York are presented by the
Irish Americans, the Kickhams and the
Shamrocks, and these are so evenly
matched that none of them have yet car
ried off the championship from the other.
Chicago boasts of having some of the
best players in the country, and as they
usually play on Sunday as in New York
they had some trouble with Mayor Wash
burne who considered the sport desc
Grafton of the Sabbath and issued orders
prohibiting them from playing on Sun
day. The Gaelic athletes, however,
kicked vigorously and finally succeeded
in having their sport on that day in spite
OF the mayor and MS puritanical advisers.
The following description Of football
playing will explain the sport: According
to the rules of the game, a full team con-
sists Of twenty -one players, and when full
teams are put in the field, the rules also
require that the ground shall be 1876 yards
long and 14O yards wide. AS that sized
ground is not easy to find in this country,
the number of players has been cut down
to fifteen, and the largest possible
grounds have been 8. lected, and it is set
forth that no ground be less than 14O
yards long and 81 yards wide. The
ground on which the college game is
! played is ITO yards long and So yards
wide. The officials Of the game consist
! of referee and two umpires, and when
the latter disagree, the referees decision
! is final.
The goal posts are twenty one feet
apart, and there is Cross bar eight feet
from the ground. Then there are two
posts set in the ground twenty-one feet
from the goal posts. To score goal,
posts aud beneath the cross bar. When
the ball is sent between the goal posts,
but over the cross bar it counts point,
as does also the driving of the ball be-
tween the goal posts and the stakes set
twenty one feet away. When no goals
are scored the game is decided on the
points made, but one goal will beat any
number Of points.
The time of play is one hour, with an
intermission of ten minutes at half time;
and, when the sturdy opponents OF the
game have kicked and pounded the
leather for an hour, with the accompany
ing running and struggling, they are IN
condition to be thankful for rest. 1t
is game that requires greet strength
and vitality in the players.
The manner in which the ball is put
into play is decidedly interesting. The
opposing players form in two parallel
II. - "a; A., ~o,%o. ~ Tho fiol7 aQch man