So on July 14th, we were all supposed to go to Dvblinia and a scavenger hunt. However, we four were in for something MUCH more interesting. We were lucky enough to get tickets to a Gaelic Football game at Croke Park Stadium courtesy of the Irish Network! Hooray! We went with Dermot Moloney, a member of the Network who was visiting family in Ireland, and his son Devon, who had never been to Ireland before either.
Since none of us had any allegiance for teams (Dermot wasn't from either of the competing counties) and none of us born-and-raised Americans had any idea what was going on prior to entering the stadium, it would have been easy to get detached from the action and bored with the scenery. We had no idea it would be this exciting.
As it turns out, we attended the Leinster Final. For reference, Gaelic Football is played in a couple levels. There are local clubs within the Irish counties, and there are larger groups which are typically the best of those local clubs who represent each county. The two playing teams were Counties Dublin and Meath, the two top teams in Leinster, one of the four Irish provinces.
Technicalities aside, the game was amazing. I have a new favorite sport. Everybody is faithful to their own counties and viciously competitive, to the point of players starting fights on the pitch. It's not supposed to be a contact sport, but no one minds the rules. Speaking of which, there were three posted rules: no smoking, no drinking in the stands, and no flares. All these and more were broken during the course of the game, making the experience hilariously chaotic for all us newbies.
I'll be looking for a Gaelic Football club in New Orleans when I get back, because between the fun I had watching it and the fun I had practicing it, I want to keep on playing.
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