Central heated.
No one played hurling in our estate when I was growing up apart from myself and my brother. A lot of the kids were only vaguely aware what a Hurley looked like. I remember pucking a ball against the gable end of our house and a young lad about 7 watching me for a few minutes before asking. "Giz a go of your whorelin bat?
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That’s my current selection. Size 34’s. The one on the left is the best. From Chris O’Gorman in Lismore. He looks after a fair few of the Waterford panel and Richie English also. Best hurleys in Ireland in my view.
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The Roasters in No 23
Indeed. The fact my aul lad used to use a pellet gun to shoot magpies out the bedroom window at 6am of a summer’s morning probably confirmed that assertion in our neighbour’s minds.
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Jesus you’re really whoring yourself around to the different makers.
When your getting a Dowling do you ask for the “Cork” version ?
I like to try different hurley makers to compare the different styles. I’ve always been interested in hurley making. When I played myself I had one maker/template I stuck to always.
Nowadays I use different styles to help players find what is best for them individually. The hurleys in that photo are quite different in weight, balance, handle width etc…
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No. I go for their standard template - the Kilkenny style. To be honest the different “styles “is more a marketing thing. There is little difference between all the styles from one producer. One thing I have found is very few hurley makers do really good hurleys for ages 7 to 12.
I’d request a thicker handle than standard from Dowling which falls under their “Tipp” template.
Agree on juvenile hurls, Dowling can do decent ones as can O Keefe Johnswell. Some of the stuff kids show up with at training bought in Sports shops and like can be shocking.
The craft and style would be good but the quality of plank used I would agree wouldn’t be as good as the seniors. When we would be sorting out the planks you’d have a men’s section, young lads/camogie/kids section and Tipp cunts section. The last one would be good planks but wetter and heavier than the KK ones. True story.
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Typical shaper
How do you find playing in goals?
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No, it’s called a Kilkenny cutback.
I took my son out to Torpey hurley makers between Sixmilebridge and Broadford last week. In the past I got hurleys in Bourkes Borrisoleigh and McCarthy in Araglin. Torpey’s are very slick operators. Fantactic display of hurleys ash and bamboo. All hurleys graded by stars. 1 to 6 star. We got two 6 star ash hurleys at 45 euro a pop with two handgrips at 6.50 euro each. Two of the finest hurleys I ever held in my hand. My son was absolutely blown away
with the place in its professionalism. As the summer progresses he will give me feedback on how he fares out with them. Torpey is well worth the visit.
I always keep/kept a few hurleys around the place usually to pick around for the dogs, that kind of thing, I like the feel of a Hurley in my hand, I had a couple of O’Connor hurleys but they’ve been left out too often in the rain now and gone a bit gammy
I ordered a couple of Canning hurleys last week to try them out, I had a look at a few other suppliers but the Canning website was easy to manoeuvre
First impression, not bad, a bit heavier than I expected
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I bought a hurl off a lad down a farm laneway somewhere out east county Galway a few years back, out kiltormor direction, pointed that way by a lad I picked up hitching. Anyhow the lad making them was a builder/farmer/contractor type , probably in his 50’s. I bought a beaut off him, but he had some against the back wall which weighed a half tonne. He said they were for Joe Canning (must have been just after he burst on the scene). I said to him “crikey they’re heavy”.
“Joe soaks the bas in a bucket of water overnight before a game” he said, to make them heavier.
Different beast.
Funny , cos the Cannings look flimsy enough to my eye.
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That sounds like an awful cod of a set up?
That’s an outrageous price for a Hurley. Even a 6 star one!
Torpey charged a young fella back our way €70 for a goalie hurley.