Catholic University Hurling Club Meets with Irish Foreign Minister
Image courtesy of @cua_hurling on Instagram.
By Griffin Cappiello
Last month, Catholic University’s Hurling Club went to the Embassy of Ireland to meet the Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister of Defense, Helen McEntee. The team presented the Minister with a CUA shirt at a reception during her first trip to Washington, D.C.
“The meeting with the Foreign Minister occurred because of our friendship with the Irish Embassy,” hurling team treasurer Joshua Ortiz said. “Our team sponsor, the Lincoln Park Group, also has close relations with the embassy.”
This was not the first time the Catholic hurling team has met with an Irish dignitary. The team previously visited the embassy to meet the Irish Ambassador to the United States, Geraldine Byrne Nason.
“Our hurling team was able to present a jersey to Ambassador Nason, which left a lasting impression on her,” Ortiz said. “During our meeting with the minister, the jerseys were all the embassy staff could talk about.”
Hurling, the national sport of Ireland, has been played for over three thousand years. Players use a stick, called a hurley, to hit a small ball, called a sliotar, between their opponents’ goalposts. Hitting the ball over the crossbar earns one point, while hitting the ball under the crossbar into a net guarded by a goalkeeper earns three points.
“I got into hurling initially through my family,” Ortiz said. “Given that my mother is from Ireland, and we would always go every summer, hurling and Gaelic football were two sports that I was familiar with during my upbringing, though I did not start hurling as a player until college.”
Image courtesy of The Nest.
Since 2014, the Catholic University hurling team has competed in the Southeast Division of the National Collegiate Gaelic Athletic Association (NCGAA). The team competes in competitions in the D.C. area and across the country and frequently plays other universities, such as the University of Montana, Notre Dame, and the University of Colorado. The team is currently ranked sixth in the nation.
“I think other people should join the club not only because this sport engages almost every single mental and physical component of one’s body, presenting a very good workout, but also because these are guys and girls that you will be friends with for life,” Ortiz said.
Anyone interested in learning more about “the fastest game on grass,” joining the team, or potentially having the opportunity to meet with Irish dignitaries should email oca-hurling@cua.edu. CUA’s hurling club is always looking for more players!
