Photo essay: Playing Gaelic games in Dubai

Ahead of St Patrick's Day on Sunday, The National joins the Irish sporting community for a spot of hurling and camogie

Women fight for the ball during a game of camogie – the women's variant of the Irish sport of hurling at The Sevens, Dubai. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National

Camogie and hurling are traditional Irish sports whose roots predate recorded Irish history

A camog takes a rest during a touch match

Two players tussle for the sliotar - or ball

A hurler keeps his touch sharp

A hurler attempts to 'hook' his opponent's caman - or hurling stick - during a match

A ball used for the traditional Irish sport of Gaelic football. It is slightly smaller and heavier than a soccer ball

Players, organised into two teams of 15, can catch, kick and fist pass the ball

Scoring in Gaelic football and hurling is achieved by putting the ball over the bar for a single point, or into the net for a goal, which is worth three points

Gaelic games are an important part of life for Irish communities, whether at home or abroad

Two opponents clash during a game

Gaelic games have been played in the UAE for years

Gaelic football is a tough sport that combines the skills seen in football (the better-known version), basketball and rugby

The Gaelic Athletic Association is a cornerstone of life for many expat Irish communities, with the sports offering a way for newcomers to make friends and settle in

Gaelic football and hurling are an important part of social life for Irish men and women living overseas

Every sport comes with its own terminology, but many people may struggle to identify in which games they’d come across a “free out”, a “sideline cut” or – more ominously – a “fair shoulder”.

For the many men and women living in the UAE who were reared on the traditional Irish sports of Gaelic football and hurling, such terms are like a native language. But although this lexicon may be baffling to a newcomer, the skill, action and drama on the pitch need little explanation.

Irish people have been living and working in the Emirates for decades, and like many other emigrant communities in this country, they have brought their traditions with them. Among these are Gaelic games that provide fitness and excitement on the pitch and offer friendship and support off it.

According to the Gaelic Athletic Association, which administers the games in Ireland and abroad, there are more than 85 competitive teams in the Middle East. Games and training sessions for Gaelic football and hurling (or camogie for women) are a common sight at sports grounds in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and beyond. But what are these sports that bind this community together?

Hurling is a fast, tough game played by two teams of 15 over 60 minutes at club level. Players wield a bladed ash stick called a caman (or hurl, or hurley) to strike a small, hard leather ball called a sliotar. Played on a much larger field than a football pitch, hurlers can send the ball vast distances. Tackling is tough, challenges are direct and a lot of dexterity is needed to balance the ball on the stick, or to hit it – while running flat out – at rugby-style goals: over the bar is worth one point and into the goal is worth three.

Gaelic football has the same team size, scoring system, pitch and rules. At first glance, it resembles a cross between football (the better-known version), rugby and basketball. Like hurling, it is a direct, physical game played by men, women and children alike.

The roots of both sports go back far into Irish prehistory but it was in 1884 that the process of organising and codifying these games began. The sports were not just for fun – they formed part of a revival of Irish nationalism and identity nearly extinguished by the devasting famine of 1845 to 1852.

In the 21st century, the association remains a unique phenomenon. Even footballers and hurlers who play at the highest level in Ireland remain amateurs. There is no transfer window – players line out for the parish they were raised in and the county they were born in. It is not unusual to see smaller, rural clubs all over Ireland field teams containing several siblings from the same family.

In Ireland, the games are a kind of social glue that binds players and communities together. That togetherness can be seen in Irish communities from New York to London to the UAE, where training, playing and celebrating as a team keeps emigrants in touch with family and friends, as well as their Irish heritage.

Barcelona FC, it is often said, is more than a club. If that is true, then Gaelic sports are more than a game.