GAA Matches at Croke Park

This past Saturday evening 32 Champlain students attended a Gaelic Athletics Association (GAA) double-header at Croke Park Stadium in North Dublin.  First up was Dublin vs. Kilkenny at hurling, thought to be the world’s fastest team sport.  Many of our students had hurling lessons last week, but were still amazed at the speed and skill with which the game is played by the ‘professionals’ (I say professionals, but one of the unique aspects of the GAA sports is that they are played completely by non-paid sportsmen and women).  Kilkenny are the most successful county in the history of hurling, but this time Dublin managed to hold them to a tie, 1-17 to 3-11 (The first part of the score are goals (in the net….worth 3 points) and the second is points, between the uprights, and are worth 1…so in this case the score is actually 20-20).