National curios

It was interesting to see this week how close the Northern Ireland Yellow Pages guide is to the pulse of sport in the province…

It was interesting to see this week how close the Northern Ireland Yellow Pages guide is to the pulse of sport in the province. According to the Irish News, GAA is listed along with Trampolining, Tug-Of-War and Dry Slope Skiing as a type of sporting curiosity.

In the sports section of the guide under the heading `Try Something New' the minority pastimes are listed alongside Camogie, Hurling and Gaelic Football. Hurling, it suggests "is a good choice for the boys" and is "played with two teams of 15 men, a small leather ball" and "is belted along with a hockey-like stick - the hurl".

Gaelic football's mandarins should also be delighted that they can hold their heads high with other internationally acclaimed sports such as microlighting.

Gaelic football we are told is: "a hybrid of rugby and soccer where the players can handle the ball. The game is played with a round ball and involves two 15-strong teams." No doubt indoor bowls, cricket and lacrosse got a page to themselves.

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson is a sports writer with The Irish Times