Only just found this thread. Some information or observations for ye; a well known maker in the southeast doesn’t even make the hurleys themselves nor in Ireland, maybe that’s common knowledge. A well known Munster hurley is made in Leinster. Joe Canning used to use Willie Bulfin hurleys when he was playing underdage/with LIT, the Canning shape is a copy of Willie Bulfin’s, is Bulfin still making them? Majority of ash is sourced in Ukraine so with the way things are going, could be more makers closing down.
Even though they all claim to use Irish ash
Jack Fagan, Kyle Hayes, Gearoid McInerney and numerous Wexford lads use Declan Barron hurls in Enmiscorthy. Philip Doyle of Lash Go Leor from the newline road and Brian Walsh from Enniscorthy seem to have Dublin and the north wrapped up. Fine craftsmen.
I’ve used a few Brian Walsh hurls, fine sticks.
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I’d imagine a quick Google would tell you.
Was up in his shop chatting away to him last year, sound fella. Conor McDonald works away for him as well.
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Nice looking hurl
Made in Slovakia I believe.
Someone just liked this post, forgotten I had put it up. Poor man has departed from us now. He would have made his last hurl in February 2022. The day after he was buried I went into this same shed and had a good auld cry to myself. We all helped build The Shed, it lay empty for a few weeks and as youngsters we played hurling and soccer and badminton in it (don’t know how we played badminton, very small shed). But Dad made The Shed what it was, it was him and he was it. The Shed was his favourite place in the world to be in. He made some beautiful hurls there. I can smell it now, I can hear the bansaw being turned over, the belt-sander down the back, the electric plainer being revved up, Radio One and the RC show on full blast as Dad whistled away to the tunes.
Christ I miss him.
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@Locke that’s beautiful. Like a TFK version of an episode of RTE’s “Hands”. Every speck of dust in that place must carry a weight of human meaning. May your oul’ fella rest easy.
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That was me Locke, apologies. I’ve been on a hurley making binge and I remembered this thread had some gems.
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Thanks for remembering and liking it. He was some man for the hurls and hurling. We’ve agreed to put Hurley Maker under his name on his gravestone. And yes, there was a debate to use ‘Hurl’ or ‘Hurley’
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Hurl maker doesn’t sound right so I think you chose well
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Now that’s a fuc#king shed. Great pictures to have. I can smell the sawdust. Your aul fella sounded like a legend from your posts.
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He was Flake. Someone said to me that when you went out to collect a hurl or a splice from Dad, you had to factor in the hour of talking you’d end up having with the big fella - there was many an All Ireland won and lost in that Shed.
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Not that many lost, unfortunately.
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Have been using a bamboo hurl since the start of the season. I am very much a convert, a lovely ping off them when you catch a ball sweetly.
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The second bit rules me out.
Price wise it’s a big outlay though. All in with the bells and whistles, it’s around €70? Do they break easily?
