Fast-Paced Milwaukee Hurling Makes Irish Evening News 

By Rebecca Russell

Hurling in Ireland is so big, such an event, that it is not uncommon for scores and highlights to make the evening news, much the way the football and basketball are newsworthy in the States. In contrast, hurling in Milwaukee ordinarily takes place in secluded Brown Deer Park. The shorts and tee-shirted spectators are typically hurlers and family of hurlers. 

Game day is an event for members of the Milwaukee Hurling Club, but outside of that community, it goes relatively unnoticed. Outside the niche, few know of the club or even the sport itself. So why did a scrimmage played at Milwaukee’s lake front as part of the festivities of Irish Fest make the national news in Ireland?

It’s not the first time members of the club have played the Spirit of Galway, a group of visiting officials, but it is the first time they’ve had such high security at a match. "Before the game, we were all standing in line for a few photos and such," said club member Jeff Vanevenhoven, "and a line of really tough, important, mean-looking SUVs come screaming up and a bunch of really tough people that look like they could dismember me with a spoon jump out. The president of Ireland was here!" 

Due to the timing of her speech that afternoon, President Mary McAleese was only able to stay for the first half of a match, but it still made the annual scrimmage an unforgettable afternoon for many who participated. 

"It is always an honor to play a match with the dignitaries of Galway," said camogie captain and youth co-ordinator Jessica Huver. "They are so spirited and enthusiastic in their love of the game. I always learn something when we play against them. But you add to that the thrill of playing for the president of Ireland. It honestly doesn’t get any better than that!

"It’s difficult to capture in words the honor that (Operations Coordinator) Dave Olson gave me by letting me suit up for the game." Vanevenhoven explained. "In a thought, what a great thing to tell my grandkids!" 

Throughout the scrimmage, Vanevenhoven marked up against Joe McDonagh, the former president of the North American Gaelic Athletic Association. After the game, both teams got together at the middle of the field, and McDonagh sang the song he performed after Galway won the All-Ireland Championships in 1980. He was on that team, so he knows good hurling when he sees it. 

"It’s great to come back and see what Dave (Olson) has done," he said, after thanking both teams for what he called an excellent game. "It’s unbelievable." 

"It’s very encouraging," he said later, "how much they’ve improved." 

The club’s improvement and growth is due partially to its participation in Irish Fest. The scrimmage against the Spirit of Galway is just one of the ways that they’re involved in the world’s largest Irish cultural event. Over the course of the weekend, the members participate in a youth scrimmage, a camogie scrimmage and a couple of stick tosses so visitors walking north of the grounds will always have hurling to watch. They also man an informational and hitting booth on the grounds, as well as host a youth clinic. 

"The youth clinic at Irish Fest went very well," said Huver. "I was surprised to see how many adults jumped in with the kids to learn the basics. It was great to see the parents’ enthusiasm to share the experience of learning something new right along with their children. That’s what is so fun about these clinics. I love to see someone’s reaction when you put a hurley in their hand and they learn the mechanics of the game."

"I always think Irish Fest is a fabulous opportunity to bring hurling to more and more people," said administrative coordinator Karen Fink. "This year was phenomenal on so many levels: it was our 10-year anniversary and Irish Fest’s 25th anniversary. And, of course, the president of Ireland, Mary McAleese, visited the festival, and a hurling match, which is beyond anything anyone ever dreamed."

"Participating in Irish Fest allows us to educate people about this ancient sport," Fink went on to explain. "With the clinic and the hitting booth, more people than ever can pick up a hurley to give it a try."

The dignitaries from Galway contribute in a small way to this opportunity. They leave behind their hurleys and, this year, they also brought a case of prototype sliothars for the club. Milwaukee hurlers use this equipment and also share equipment with new and growing clubs across the country.

With this emphasis on growth, education and spreading the love of the game, it’s no wonder that after the scrimmage against the Spirit of Galway, that only the official — who had to check his book — knew what final score. After all, the game was not about winning and losing, except in one way. As Dave Olson aptly said in the post-game huddle, it was about, "winning for hurling."