Not only is hurling the oldest field game in Europe but also the fastest field game in the world.
This very Irish sport was already mentioned in a 12th centuary document which tells the story of Cu Chulainn. Cu Chulainn was one of the greatest Irish mythological heros. When Cu Chulainn was a young boy his name was Setanta. The legend tells us that Setanta was fighting again a vicious hound. Setanta was playing hurling when he was attacked by a vicious dog. Using his hurley he hit the ball through the beast’s mouth and deveated the hound. For this great accomplishment he won the name of Cu Chulainn, the Hound of Chulainn.
This traditional Irish sport is very popular amoung Irish people of all ages. Every Irish town and village has a hurling team, in most schools hurling is part of the school curriculum and young and old enjoy watching matches on television or live in stadiums. The most amazing thing about this sport  is that even the All Ireland champions are not being paid and play purely for the pride of their national sport.
Every visitor of Ireland should watch this amazing sport. The Language and Culture Course which takes place at the Slaney Language Centre in Wexford in October combines English language learning with Irish culture. Language students learn about Irish history, culture, sport, literature and art inside and outside of the classroom. A hurling workshop as well as an Irish dancing workshop are part of the extracurricular programme.