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Home Page > News > US Marines GAA team to take part in hurling festivals in Ireland – VIDEO

US Marines GAA team to take part in hurling festivals in Ireland – VIDEO

The Wild Geese take part in hurling contest in the home of GAA

CATHY HAYES,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Wednesday, May 30, 2012, 7:31 AM

Updated Wednesday, May 30, 2012, 2:25 PM

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The Wild Geese, a hurling team and a contingent of the United States Marine Corps, is set to take part in the international festival of hurling at Semple Stadium, Thurles, County Tipperary

Photo by Google Images

The Wild Geese, a hurling team and a contingent of the United States Marine Corps, is set to take part in the international festival of hurling at Semple Stadium, Thurles, County Tipperary.

The marines will be taking a break from their tour of duty to take part. They are stationed in Suffolk, England. Other hurling teams from the US, England, Northern Ireland, Brussels, and the Republic of Ireland will also compete, the Irish Times reports.

The hurling festival, taking place on 13th and 14th July, has been organized by the GAA, Thurles Sarsfields GAA Club, and Shannon Development, and will include about 1,000 players.

The European Hurling and Camogie Championships are also being held in conjunction with the festival.

At the launch of the event, Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael, Liam Ó Néill said, “It is hugely encouraging to see the number of clubs from our overseas network involved in the hurling festivities,” GAA.ie reports.

John Enright, chairman of the organizing committee said, “The festival is an effort by the Thurles Sarsfield club to aid the development of hurling as an international game while at the same time stimulating the local economy by attracting teams and visitors to the area. Hurling is unique to Ireland and has a huge largely un-tapped potential to boost tourism to our country in these difficult financial times”.

The Suffolk based Wild Geese is not the only hurling team in the US Army. Most famously, the The Barley House Wolves Hurling Club made up of the US National Guard unit from Concord, New Hampshire, was established when the troop took in a game while on stop over at Shannon airport.

Lieutenant Colonel Ray Valas, of the New Hampshire National Guard watched the sport on an airport television and the rest was history.

Here’s a clip from the documentary on the Barley House Wolves:

Nster.com

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21 Comments

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jimmycakes | Jun 04, 2012, 07:09 PM EDT

Oops! Family but we, The USA, do not routinely bomb women and children to take out a few Brits or whoever else we do not like! We do it in your face! I am sure YOU would have done NOTHING to provoke the US Soldiers in uniform if you wanted to keep your crooked teeth! And by the way it is HOO RAH!!! US Soldiers should be out of Afghanistan and Iraq by now but we are the only country that will stand up to the worlds tyranny pal.

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jimmycakes | Jun 04, 2012, 07:02 PM EDT

Hey Bythebay, You call us warmongers? At least we have the stones to wear our uniforms! I am proud of my Tipp roots and fami

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johnr | Jun 02, 2012, 11:08 PM EDT

the u.s. marines were founded nov 10 1775 as the continental marines, serving mostly on ships. they did participate in the war of independance. the u.s. navy and army were founded in 1775 and fought the british as the continental army.

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Bythebay | Jun 01, 2012, 11:19 AM EDT

US Marines, Navy, Coast Guard and Army had nothing to do with securing US independence. They were established long after that.

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bunkerhill | May 31, 2012, 03:37 PM EDT

God Bless the US soldiers, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard, and Army. Without them we Americans would still be serfs under the crown; people of color would still be slaves; Europe would be under the idiocy of "Master Race;" and the Japanese "Children of the Sun God," would control the Pacific.

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Bythebay | May 31, 2012, 02:16 PM EDT

US Marines, Army, Navy, Coast Guard or whatever Irish Central has garbled about what they are aren't even a blip on Irish radar. Some of them thought they'd strut their stuff in uniform when on leave in Ireland. They were told soon enough it wasn't acceptable and could land them in jail. They were in proper clothing with lightning speed!! They weren't OOO RAHing then, ha, ha, ha.

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Bythebay | May 31, 2012, 02:00 PM EDT

keyboard??? You probably have "386" computers too, ha, ha. Cloud computing, touchscreens, keypads, etc. are probably as unknown to you as knowledge about the real Wild Geese.

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Bythebay | May 31, 2012, 01:56 PM EDT

The US Marines and Americans lack of knowledge about Irish history gives those on this side of the pond great laughs. We in Ireland have no regard for war mongers no matter what they're called.

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Murph46 | May 31, 2012, 09:16 AM EDT

JBRAFTREE-Byethebay is but a pimple on the world's a..hole!

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ciaradexy | May 31, 2012, 05:35 AM EDT

Its a sport, its universal, anyone can play it.

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charlieo444 | May 30, 2012, 08:02 PM EDT

This article has nothing to do with the Marines! US ARMY & National Guard ....it possible some National Guards members joined the guard but it is Run by the ARMY....why does it even mention the Marines.....i got suck in to the article cause it said Marines i love the Marines But....Great Article & Better Video specially when the us army/guard guy mentioned Croke Park....Love ALL branches of The Service

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JBRAFTREE | May 30, 2012, 05:36 PM EDT

Murph, Bythebay is still beatin' you up? I say a great big SEMPER FI to the Marines. They are a Department of the United States Navy....THE MEN'S DEPARTMENT!!!!!!!

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johnr | May 30, 2012, 04:44 PM EDT

say what you want about the name of the the team, the Marines aren't really gonna care. at the end of the day they all answer to one title and that is MARINE. and we've been called worse things than mercenaries. they will call themselves wild geese with pride.

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Murph46 | May 30, 2012, 02:04 PM EDT

OOO Rah,the Marine Battle Call is an ancient Celtic battle cry ,and byethebay-have a clue,don't mess with a Marine!Even though I would sell popcorn if you did!

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hooligan6a | May 30, 2012, 01:12 PM EDT

Bythebay, What is your point? The American Marines do know Irish history, that is why they named their team the "Wild Geese" I would think twice before you go up to the Marines and say something they may take offense to. Then again, I don't think would have the balls. Go Marines. Semper FI.

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