Ceilidh for Isle of Skye shinty club

**Alan H** · 20th August 09, 12:25 PM

This came out on our local celtic music e-mail network..

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The Isle of Skye (Scotland) Shinty team is coming over to play us at Pleasanton Games and funny enough some of the players are also musicians and singers. There will be a ceilidh starting at 5:30 pm Sat 29 August at the Swinging Door Pub in San Mateo (Formerly the Prince of Wales). Folks are invited to come out and meet the boys from Skye, local Scottish/Irish/Celtic musicians are welcome to attend and jam with the folks from Skye. Please feel free to let any other folks who might be interested in attending the ceilidh as well. Scottish dress is encouraged etc.
The address is 106 East 25th Ave, San Mateo. It is within easy walking distance of Caltrain

**Jock Scot** · 20th August 09, 09:02 PM

Do you chaps over there know anything about shinty? Any of you played it? The Western Highlands is the home of shinty and its a great game. Football(soccer) and rugby pale into insignificance in comparison.Think of hockey, but with no rules!

**vmac3205** · 21st August 09, 05:53 AM

I have played shinty. There is a Western Washington Club. Captmac and I have Cammans. His is a goalie camman, and mine is a defender camman. We push shinty info in our clan booth, with the cammans, a ball, and books on display.

**Scott West** · 21st August 09, 05:58 AM

Jock Scot: I play ice hockey (defenseman) here in Jacksonville, Florida (yes, we actually have an ice rink!) I would love an opportunity to play shinty!

**pdcorlis** · 21st August 09, 09:03 AM

Jock, can you tell me if there is any connection between shinty and hurling?

**vmac3205** · 21st August 09, 09:10 AM

Originally Posted by pdcorlis

Jock, can you tell me if there is any connection between shinty and hurling?

Pretty much the same rules, different sticks. There are hurling / shinty matches both in Scotland and here. The hurley ball looks like a shinty ball only is just slightly smaller or larger. I can't remember which. To answer your question, yes there is a connection. Sorry to jump your answer Jock, I just get so excitied selling this game. I love it, even if I am too old and slow to play it properly.

**Jock Scot** · 21st August 09, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by pdcorlis

Jock, can you tell me if there is any connection between shinty and hurling?

I THINK hurling is more of an Irish game,it is played in Scotland, but not much.There are I THINK 15 per side in a hurling team whilst 11 a side for shinty. The hurling goal is a cross between a soccer goal and rugby posts I am not sure how the scoring works and I THINK the hurling stick is not shaped like a shinty stick(caman). There you go, I have exhausted my knowlege on hurling and even that may be wrong!

THE shinty teams of repute would include, Fort William, Kilmallie,Kingussie,Newtonmore,Oban.

**pdcorlis** · 21st August 09, 09:48 AM

Thanks to both of you gentlemen - my one clear recollection of shinty was seeing a thundering heard amassed moving this way and that with sticks a flying. At the time I thought - "why bother with a referee?"

If only we could see that on the tele here in the states...

**vmac3205** · 21st August 09, 01:58 PM

vmac = lady, thank you very much. I guess the Victoria at the end of the post isn't a very good clue. That aside, look up shinty on Youtube. There are several matches to watch.

**The Thing** · 21st August 09, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

I THINK hurling is more of an Irish game,it is played in Scotland, but not much.There are I THINK 15 per side in a hurling team whilst 11 a side for shinty. The hurling goal is a cross between a soccer goal and rugby posts I am not sure how the scoring works and I THINK the hurling stick is not shaped like a shinty stick(caman). There you go, I have exhausted my knowlege on hurling and even that may be wrong!

THE shinty teams of repute would include, Fort William, Kilmallie,Kingussie,Newtonmore,Oban.

Nope not wrong, Shinty and Hurling evolved from the one game and it has been said with some strong evidence that Ice Hockey game about from the two games. Hurley sticks also called Camans and the ball is called a sliotar. Early Camans look very different to the modern ones, 100 years ago they almost looked like Shinty sticks.
Another interesting thing is that games (The two games) were played between village, town and countryside, sometimes they could last days. The two sports were also used to train warriors in fitness and drill.
Brilliant games but unless you play from an early age, almost impossible to ever get the hang of.
There is still a type of early Hurling played in Ireland every year called The Poc fada (The Long hit) the object of the game is to hit with the least amount of shots along the Cooley Mountains in County Louth.
Home of the legendry Cu Chulainn, The Hound of Ulster.