Limerick midfielder Cian Lynch in action during the All Ireland SHC Final against Galway at Croke Park.
By Cian O'Connell
A delegation from the GAA will be in Paris on Thursday hoping to secure UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status for hurling.
Uachtaran Cumann Luthchleas Gael, John Horan, Director of Games, Pat Daly, Acting Camogie Association CEO Louise Conlon, historian Daniel McCarthy, Director of UCD's World Heritage Management and Conservation programme, Claire Cave, UCD Professor of Archaeology, Aidan O'Sullivan, and former Cork hurler John Fenton are travelling to France alongside Minister for Culture, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan.
"The Intangible Cultural Heritage status is something that is provided by UNESCO," Daly explains "You have a World Heritage site like Newgrange, that would be recognised by UNESCO. That is a site, it exists, you can see it and it is a permanent reality. What we are talking about here is intangible cultural heritage. It is stuff that gets passed down through the medium of hurling.
"Things like idenity, the generation of social capital, things like cultural diversity, the propagation of holistic lifestyle and decent value systems. That is the kind of world you are in to here."
Daly stresses the value and role hurling plays in Irish society. "I suppose the case we are making is that hurling has been around a long time, it is pretty much unique to Ireland," Daly adds.
"It is a distinctive game and if you mention hurling in this country it is pretty much tied up with Irish identity and everything that goes with that.
"Based on the history of the game and the societal impact it has and its contribution to identity and social capital and the identity to communities, we believe it merits recognition by UNESCO in an intangible cultural heritage context.
"It is a big reputational thing, but you'd still have to go out to promote the game. The fact that uileann piping got UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status last year.
"Basically it is recognition of the uniqueness of uileann piping. Where it has come from and its contribution to the world of music. What we are talking about here is something comparable, it is recognition of the contribution hurling has made to society."
Waterford goalkeeper Ned Power rises high to catch the ball above Cork's Christy Ring in the 1962 Munster SHC semi-final.
The GAA has worked closely with the government ahead of the presentation according to Daly. "This cannot be put forward by the GAA, it has to be put forward by the government," Daly states.
"Josepha Madigan, The Minister for Culture, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht, has put hurling forward for what is now as inscription, that hurling would get inscribed on to this list.
"John Fenton will be contributing, Aidan O'Sullivan is an archaeologist in UCD, he will be contributing. Louise Conlon, the acting Camogie CEO, and Claire Cave, she is an academic from UCD as well, they will all be contributing."
Fenton, who scored one of the most iconic goals in hurling history in 1987, continues to promote the game. "John Fenton was involved in a Hurling Development Committee that started this process a couple of years ago, he is wearing that hat because he was very keen for this to be progressed," Daly remarks.
"He scored a phenomenal goal and is very much involved with his club all the time down in Midleton. He is basically representing the grassroots, if you like, of hurling outlining what is going on at that level.
"Louise Conlon is doing something comparable from Camogie with a slightly different perspective. Aidan O'Sullivan is looking at the archeology of hurling and where it has come from and how long it has been around for.
"Claire Cave she basically deals with UNESCO saying why hurling is unique and why it is unique to Irish identity and why it merits inscription. Daniel McCarthy is also part of the delegation. Dr Padraic Quinn and Daniel McCarthy were the initial movers behind this."
