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Old Parish: Notes on Hurling
Brought to you by Penguin.
Hurling is Ireland's national game – a source of fascination and pride, even to people who have never played it. Ciarán Murphy, a lifelong club footballer, used to be one of those people. Then he spent a summer trying to play hurling with a tiny club in the West Waterford Gaeltacht. Along the way he embarked on a quest to understand the history, geography and mystique of this extraordinary sport.
Old Parish is the club of Ciarán's father, a club where relatives of his are still deeply involved, and possibly the only place brave (or stupid) enough to take on a forty-one-year-old newcomer to the game. Predictably (and at times hilariously), Ciarán finds out just how difficult a sport hurling is to pick up when you're in your sporting dotage, up against men who've played it since childhood.
Ciarán also explores why hurling is played in only half the country; he investigates the origins of hurling clubs' antipathy to football and the difficulties of establishing hurling in new areas; he looks into the mysteries of hurley-making; and he seeks to understand why, when a hurling legend refers to the sport as 'the greatest game ever played by any man', he has to be taken seriously.
Anyone who has ever watched hurling knows that it is something unique and extraordinary. Old Parish explains why.
Hurling is Ireland's national game – a source of fascination and pride, even to people who have never played it. Ciarán Murphy, a lifelong club footballer, used to be one of those people. Then he spent a summer trying to play hurling with a tiny club in the West Waterford Gaeltacht. Along the way he embarked on a quest to understand the history, geography and mystique of this extraordinary sport.
Old Parish is the club of Ciarán's father, a club where relatives of his are still deeply involved, and possibly the only place brave (or stupid) enough to take on a forty-one-year-old newcomer to the game. Predictably (and at times hilariously), Ciarán finds out just how difficult a sport hurling is to pick up when you're in your sporting dotage, up against men who've played it since childhood.
Ciarán also explores why hurling is played in only half the country; he investigates the origins of hurling clubs' antipathy to football and the difficulties of establishing hurling in new areas; he looks into the mysteries of hurley-making; and he seeks to understand why, when a hurling legend refers to the sport as 'the greatest game ever played by any man', he has to be taken seriously.
Anyone who has ever watched hurling knows that it is something unique and extraordinary. Old Parish explains why.
- GenresSports
256 pages, Paperback
Published September 18, 2025
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54 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 3, 2025
I brought home Ciarán Murphy’s book and I really enjoyed it. A wonderful story of a guy who takes up hurling at forty one in the home parish of his father’s family, the puck of a sliotar from John Paul’s pub in Old Parish. The first qualification of any good book is it has to be well written and it think this one is beautifully written. It helps that I have some knowledge of Old Parish and the GAA especially in Waterford.
So it got me thinking what would I say if I was writing a review of this book. The first thing I would have to do is declare my bias. I was born and reared in Waterford and I have never lived anywhere else nor have I wanted to. I spent my whole working life in the city and travelling the length and breadth of the county. I can safely say I am biased because I love Waterford and reading this book got me thinking of all the wonderful place that are in Waterford. In one way I got poor value as I finished it in two days but in other ways it was great value and thoroughly enjoyable and uplifting. Old Parish is a unique place and the essence of that was captured. Well done you deserve great credit.
So it got me thinking what would I say if I was writing a review of this book. The first thing I would have to do is declare my bias. I was born and reared in Waterford and I have never lived anywhere else nor have I wanted to. I spent my whole working life in the city and travelling the length and breadth of the county. I can safely say I am biased because I love Waterford and reading this book got me thinking of all the wonderful place that are in Waterford. In one way I got poor value as I finished it in two days but in other ways it was great value and thoroughly enjoyable and uplifting. Old Parish is a unique place and the essence of that was captured. Well done you deserve great credit.
January 8, 2026
It was enjoyable.
As someone who doesn't play hurling but loves sport it was nice to hear someone talk about their experience learning a new sport. However I was a little disappointed to find out that the author, who was sold to me as someone who had never played hurling before in his life, actually grew up with a father who was a county hurler and used to 'puck around.' So some of the novelty was taken away.
I found some of the description's of matches and play a little too typical with the author using really obvious and over-used phrases.
Some chapters were quiet history heavy, including both general history of the GA as well has Murphy's own family history. this was a little hard to follow. As I was listening on audiobook it was easy to let my interest lapse a little and not loose any information but I think if I had been reading it, then these are the parts that would have stalled my progress.
My favourite parts of the story were his own personal reflection and gearing about his life outside of hurling.
Overall an interesting read and has definitely peaked my interested in picking up a hurl myself
As someone who doesn't play hurling but loves sport it was nice to hear someone talk about their experience learning a new sport. However I was a little disappointed to find out that the author, who was sold to me as someone who had never played hurling before in his life, actually grew up with a father who was a county hurler and used to 'puck around.' So some of the novelty was taken away.
I found some of the description's of matches and play a little too typical with the author using really obvious and over-used phrases.
Some chapters were quiet history heavy, including both general history of the GA as well has Murphy's own family history. this was a little hard to follow. As I was listening on audiobook it was easy to let my interest lapse a little and not loose any information but I think if I had been reading it, then these are the parts that would have stalled my progress.
My favourite parts of the story were his own personal reflection and gearing about his life outside of hurling.
Overall an interesting read and has definitely peaked my interested in picking up a hurl myself
January 1, 2026
I related to some of this as I took up GAA for mothers and others in my 40s. Not as difficult as hurling of course. Loved the historical insights about handball alleys and hurling played where the land was good as less hard labour so more time to develop skills.
September 28, 2025
excellent, enjoyable book on not just the playing of hurling, but what it means for a hurling community and to be part of that community. a lovely book.
October 7, 2025
Brilliant!!
November 10, 2025
Heart warming read about a man's connection to his father's home town.
December 22, 2025
Best book I've read this year
December 23, 2025
Deep knowledge of the GAA, sharp & often hilarious cultural commentary, curiosity & a sense of joy. Absolutely loved this.
January 5, 2026
An easy enjoyable read but as I've never played hurling, some of the subtleties were lost to me.
January 6, 2026
Excellent book full of the joy of sport family and community
January 15, 2026
A short but wonderful story about falling in love with hurling and rural Ireland
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews