Hurling’s international rules series, against Scotland’s shinty team, returns to Bught Park, Inverness, at the weekend for the first time in seven years. The series, resumed after Covid, has been played in Newry and Ennis in the past two years.
Ireland won both, and joint manager Antrim’s Terence McNaughton agreed that those wins had restored pride to the Irish game after a difficult couple of series.
“Oh, massively. I think the year before, the Ireland team only managed to score four points. It was 5-11 or something to 0-4. I think we really got our arses handed to us in a polite way,” said McNaughton, who shares the manager’s job with former Kilkenny hurler Michael Kavanagh.
“We set out that we were going to try and restore a bit of pride in the Ireland team and I think we’ve managed to do that. I would love to maybe end our term with three in a row. Going over there and winning, it would be a good scalp.”
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McNaughton believes the game sharpens the traditional skills of hurling. “I really enjoy it. It really separates the guys who can’t take the ball in their hand and really improves your stickwork. I know myself as a coach with kids, I’d always have part of the session where they’re not allowed to take the ball in their hand, to improve their touch.
“I accept it’s getting farther away from the game we know today where you’re holding possession, breaking through the lines. This is more so going back to my generation’s type of hurling, ground hurling.
“You’re going back to people like John Fenton and the great ground strikers of that era. They would have loved a game like this.”
Captain Dan Morrissey, five-time All-Ireland winner with Limerick, is another enthusiast.
“Not being able to put the ball into your hand is a very difficult thing to do. Trying to get your head up and deliver the ball, when you have a lad with a 50-inch shinty stick chasing you – they can get a flick at you, like in a hurling match.
“If you think you have a yard on your man, you might be fine and have a bit of space, whereas the shinty stick is that bit longer. They can get a flick in even if they’re a couple of yards behind you.”
He also reflected on the retirement of Limerick All-Ireland winning captain Declan Hannon earlier this week.
“He was a great friend. Just an inspirational leader. I remember down in Thurles, was it 2011? He had just done the Leaving Cert and was involved in the All-Ireland quarter final against Dublin and he was one of the best lads on the pitch.
“He would have been a year ahead of me so I would have played with him on Limerick minor teams and for the under-21s. He was just a pleasure to play with. He had such good vision and was such a good hurler.”
There will also be a camogie team, managed by Ger Manley and captained by Cork’s Saoirse McCarthy, travelling for the women’s series.
The Scotland-Ireland double header will be broadcast live on the BBC Alba YouTube channel and available at gaa.ie/shinty.
