Hurling is one of the fastest field games in the world and is over 3,000 years old. It is a popular sport played in Ireland and has a passionate fanbase. Hurling combines skills from many other sports like baseball, hockey and lacrosse and is played by teams of 15 players.
In this article, we have compiled 60 riddles about hurling to test your knowledge of this exciting Irish sport. Some riddles focus on hurling equipment like the hurley stick and sliotar ball, while others cover hurling terms, techniques, players and more. Each riddle comes with an answer so you can check if you were right. Let’s get started!
Hurling Riddles – Equipment
Hurley Stick Riddles
Q1: I’m long and narrow, made of ash wood from Ireland. Players use me to strike and carry the ball. What am I?
A: A hurley stick
Q2: I’m the end of the hurley stick that players use to catch and carry the sliotar. What am I called?
A: The bas
Q3: I’m the angled part of the hurley stick head used for striking and blocking. What am I?
A: The boss
Q4: I connect the handle to the head of the hurley. Players use tape to bind me. What am I?
A: The slath
Sliotar Riddles
Q5: I may look like a baseball but I’m smaller and have raised lines. Players strike me with hurleys. What ball am I?
A: A sliotar
Q6: Craftsmen make me from cork and cover me in alum tanned leather. What ball am I?
A: A sliotar
Q7: Hurley sticks strike my sweet spot over long distances. What is it called?
A: The bas of the sliotar
Hurling Terms & Rules Riddles
Q8: We score when the sliotar goes below us and between the posts. What are we?
A: Hurling goalposts
Q9: You’ll find me 165 meters from each goalpost. I run parallel to the endline. Who am I?
A: The 65 meter line
Q10: I’m awarded when a player fouls within their own small rectangle. What am I called?
A: A penalty
Q11: I refer to carrying the ball on your hurley for more than 4 steps. What foul am I?
A: Overcarrying
Q12: We are the 9 lines marking each half of the pitch. One team must always defend us. What are we?
A: The endline and sidelines of the hurling pitch
Q13: Players must toss me between them at midfield to start or restart games. What am I?
A: The sliotar
Q14: To win games, teams must score more of me than their opponents. But what am I?
A: Goals and points
Q15: I’m awarded if the sliotar goes directly over the sideline from a player’s hurley. What am I?
A: A sideline cut
Hurling Play Riddles
Q16: I let players strike the sliotar into their opponent’s goal from up close. What am I?
A: A penalty
Q17: I refer to the goalkeeper blocking down shots with their hurley. What essential GK skill am I?
A: Saving
Q18: Players use me to lift the sliotar into their hand or hurley. What balancing skill am I?
A: Juggling
Q19: I’m a powerful overhead strike players use to score points from distance. What am I?
A: Hitting the sliotar
Q20: Outfield players use me to block and tackle opponents when not in possession. What defensive skill am I?
A: Hooking
Q21: Midfielders use me to strike the sliotar long distances towards the forwards. What am I?
A: Striking from the hand
Q22: When I’m awarded, one player taps the sliotar on the ground for a team mate to strike it. What am I?
A: A free puck
Q23: We flank the full-forward line and must finish any goal chances that come our way. Who are we?
A: Corner forwards
Hurling Players & Teams Riddles
Q24: We play hurling for Tipperary and have won 27 All-Ireland senior titles, more than any other county. Who are we?
A: The Tipperary hurling team
Q25: I am nicknamed ‘The Cats’ and am Kilkenny’s hurling team. We have won over 35 All-Ireland titles. Who am I?
A: The Kilkenny hurling team
Q26: I am one of hurling’s legends, who played full-forward for Kilkenny. Nicknamed ‘The Cats’, I scored a record 34 goals in 26 Championship appearances. Who am I?
A: Eddie Keher
Q27: We are the Christy Ring Cup and Nicky Rackard Cup. We are hurling competitions for less strong counties. What are we?
A: Second and third tier senior inter-county competitions
Q28: I played full-back for Cork, won 8 All-Ireland medals and captained Ireland to victory in the International Rules Series. What legend am I?
A: Sean Óg Ó hAilpín
Q29: This Irish county has never won a Senior All-Ireland hurling title. Over 10,000 US tourists visit me each year. What county am I?
A: Louth
Hurling History Riddles
Q30: Legend says I was formed when Lugh hit a ball instead of a head across a field. What ancient sport am I?
A: Hurling
Q31: Soldiers from my 9th century Irish kingdom were famous hurlers according to the Statutes of Kilkenny. Who am I?
A: The Kingdom of Ossory
Q32: The first written hurling rules were drawn up by my members in the 18th century to unify play. Who am I?
A: The Letterkenny Hurling Club
Q33: I founded the Gaelic Athletic Association for the preservation and cultivation of Irish sports like hurling. Who am I?
A: Michael Cusack
Q34: In our first year, Cusack organized a match between me and another Irish county. Who competed in the first inter-county hurling match?
A: County Meath and County Louth
Q35: I refer to the first Hurling Championship that began with seven teams in 1887. What competition am I?
A: The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
Hurling Skills Riddles
Q36: Good hurlers use me to quickly change direction while in possession. What evasive maneuver am I?
A: The roll lift
Q37: If the ball lands in front of me, I’ll use this close control skill involving the flat of the hurley to keep it near me. What am I doing?
A: Jabbing
Q38: Hurlers do me to tap the ball from their hurley to their hand when running at pace. What balancing skill is this?
A: Hand passing
Q39: When I’m done correctly, players strike the sliotar crisply with the bas of the hurley. What essential striking skill am I?
A: Connecting with the sliotar
Q40: Wristy hurlers use me to suddenly change the flight of the sliotar to evade tackles. What skilful strike am I?
A: Striking cross-batted
Q41: If my teammate passes me the sliotar in mid-air, I’ll try this skill to gain control while landing. What is it?
A: The overhead catch
Q42: Gaining this ‘advantage’ allows players to take 4 steps with the ball on their hurley to play it without interference. What is it called?
A: Advantage
Riddles on Umpires & Referees
Q43: We each stand under a goalpost to decide if sliotars go over or under it for scores. Who are we?
A: Goal umpires
Q44: Players have to toss me to their opponent at the start of games. But what am I?
A: The Referee’s ball
Q45: You’ll spot me along the sideline adjudicating infractions. I may also have linesmen assisting me. What am I?
A: The match referee
GAA Stadiums & Pitches Riddles
Q46: Many hurling and football games in Ireland are played in my famous Dublin stadium. Over 82,000 fans can attend matches here. What arena am I?
A: Croke Park
Q47: You will find me in Thurles, County Tipperary. I am an iconic GAA stadium that hosts major hurling finals. What ground am I?
A: Semple Stadium
Q48: Counties home and away must try win possession of me by striking the sliotar. What crucial area am I?
A: Midfield
Q49: Teams score over my crossbar and under me when I’m attacked well by forwards. Who am I?
A: The opposition’s goalposts
Q50: Players use hurleys to hit the sliotar between me off the playing field from the sideline. What does this result in?
A: A sideline cut
Protection Equipment Riddles
Q51: Hurlers wear me to protect their fingers from strikes. I’m cut slightly shorter than in other stick sports. What glove am I?
A: A hurley glove with exposed fingertips
Q52: Young hurlers wear these padded shorts under their jersey to protect thighs and hips from bashes. What are they?
A: Hurling shorts
Q53: These allow players to catch heavy sliotars struck from distance without hurting their hands. What are they?
A: Handpasses gloves
Q54: For protection, some hurlers wear this padded helmet with a faceguard. What is it?
A: A hurling helmet
Fun Facts about Hurling
Q55: Hurling is considered the world’s fastest field sport or game played on grass. True or false?
True. The sliotar can travel over 100 mph in hurling!
Q56: The annual All-Ireland Hurling Final is considered less important than the Football Final. Fact or myth?
Myth. The Hurling Final receives comparable viewership and is considered a hugely prestigious competition.
Q57: Ireland won the Silver Medal in Hurling when it was last included at the Olympics in the early 20th century. Is this true or false?
True. Irish hurlers won silver in 1908 despite having no formal training.
Q58: No American athlete has ever played hurling at inter-county level for any Irish county. True or false?
False. A few Americans have played hurling for London based Irish teams over the years.
Q59: The hurley stick used today dates back unchanged over the last two millennia. Fact or fiction?
Fiction. Modern hurleys use steel bas rings and grips. Old versions had wider bas areas.
Q60: Is hurling still only played by men? Or do women also play competitively now?
Women also play competitive hurling today between county teams and clubs, as the sport grows in popularity.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed testing your hurling knowledge with these 60 riddles with answers! From equipment like sliotars and hurleys to iconic stadiums, famous players, essential skills and fun trivia, these brainteasers cover all aspects of the exciting Irish game of hurling. How did you score? 13 points is par for the course!
Now that you know more about mystical hurling terms like sideline cuts, juggling, hooking and more, why not watch the thrilling Hurling Championship online? It is considered by fans as the greatest stick and ball game on earth! The 2023 season throws in from May onwards!
