Alright, so picture this: a bunch of super cheerful Irish folks rocked up to our shop in Melbourne, right? They were visiting Victoria for a few weeks and popped into our shop to grab some Aussie souvenirs to take back home. Now, some of them weren't just any tourists – they were proper footy fans, decked out in their hurling team shirts. And, of course, they couldn't resist our famous Irish Koala from the International Koala Collection. Seeing them all keen as mustard got us thinking, and well, we just had to create a hurling-playing Koala art print!
But hold up, you might be asking,
What in the blue blazes is hurling?
Fair question! Basically, it's this awesome, ancient Irish team sport where you whack a little ball (they call it a sliotar) between goalposts using these ash wood sticks, or camán. It's fast, it's furious, and honestly, it's a ripper to watch!
A bit of Hurling history Down Under
Turns out, hurling's been kicking around in Australia since way back in the mid-1800s. The Irish were playing it and Gaelic football in Sydney's Hyde Park, especially around St. Patrick's Day. Over time, it spread across the country.
As more and more Aussies got into it, they started forming associations and running championships - Victoria, NSW, South Australia, the lot! Eventually, they all joined forces to create the Gaelic Athletic Association of Australia, and then hooked up with the Kiwis to form the Gaelic Athletic Association of Australasia. Pretty impressive, eh?
And what about the Ladies?
Now, don't think the blokes get to have all the fun! There's camogie, which is basically the women's version of hurling. Apparently around 100,000 women worldwide are playing it, mostly in Ireland and places with a strong Irish connection. They even made it an official tournament sport in 2012. And get this - both hurling and camogie are recognised by UNESCO as part of our Intangible Cultural Heritage. How good's that?
So, if you've got a hurling-mad mate, or you're just keen to learn more about this awesome sport, we've got the perfect gifts (including that cheeky koala print!). Come have a yarn and check them out!
