The Michael Cusack Hurling Club was established in 2008 as Chicago’s first hurling club made entirely of American-born players. We welcome members of all races, ages, and ability levels to the group. Our objective is to promote Ireland’s national sport among Americans in our area so that the game can continue to be played in Chicago for many years to come.
Hurling has been described as “field hockey in the air,” “brutal field hockey,” “like lacrosse but with solid sticks,” and other variations. None of these summaries do the game justice. To properly grasp the spirit of the sport, you must witness it in action. Few sports can equal its unique combination of talent, athleticism, stamina, and speed. It is widely regarded as the quickest field game on the planet. It has the pace and continuous flow action of ice hockey, but it is played on grass.
It is played with a long, curved stick, similar to a field hockey stick, but with a broader, flat end that allows the player to control the ball both in the air and on the ground. It’s composed of ashwood, which has the ideal characteristics to allow the stick to flex up to a point. On a goalkeeper’s stick, the end (the boss) is usually significantly larger.
