Hurling is a game similar to field hockey, in that it is played with a small ball and a curved wooden stick. It is Europe's oldest field game. When the Celts came to Ireland as the last ice age was receding, they brought with them a unique culture; their own language, music, script and unique pastimes. One of these pastimes was a game now called hurling. It features in Irish folklore to illustrate the deeds of heroic mystical figures and it is chronicled as a distinct Irish pastime for at least 2,000 years.

The stick, or "hurley" (called camán in Irish) is curved outwards at the end, to provide the striking surface. The ball or "sliothar" is similar in size to a field hockey ball but has raised ridges.

A full-size Hurling pitch is typically 137m long and 82m wide. The goalposts are the same shape as rugby, with the crossbar lower than rugby and slightly higher than soccer. Each team consists of fifteen players, lining out as follows: one goalkeeper, three full-backs, three half-backs, two midfielders, three half-forwards and three full-forwards. The actual line out on the playing field is the same as for Gaelic Football.

The ball may be struck on the ground, or in the air. Unlike field hockey, the ball may be picked up with the hurley and carried in the hand for not more than four steps. After those steps the ball may be bounced on the hurley and back to the hand, but catching the ball more than twice is not allowed. To get around this, one of the key skills is running with the ball balanced on the hurley To score, the ball must be hit over the crossbar with the hurley for one point, or under the crossbar and into the net for a goal, which is equivalent to three points.