A whole different ball-game in chase for Corn Cholmcille

Talking Sport with Stephen Glennon

For the past six years, Micheal Breathnach hurlers have been flying the Irish flag in the Iomain Cholmcille international shinty/hurling competition – a tournament between Irish speaking hurlers and Gaelic speakers from Scotland – with the Connemara outfit winning the event on three of the five occasions.

However, with the reigning champions – a representative team from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland – due to arrive in Inverin the weekend after next, Micheal Breathnach hurler and organiser Oisín Ó Ceallaigh hopes the men from South Connemara can re-claim Corn Cholmcille and defend their record of never having been defeated on home soil.

 ”We have been lucky enough to win it on three occasions and they (Scotland) have won it on two occasions over the five years so far,” outlines Ó Ceallaigh, who will miss the game after breaking a bone in his hand.

“The first year we took part in it, in Oban, we won it that year and that has been the only away victory (since the inaugural event in 2007). Every other year, it has been won by the home team. The word is that Scotland are bringing a very strong squad this year and the word is they are very determined to record their first away victory. We will see what happens.”

The competition is an initiative nurtured by ‘Colmcille’ – a partnership between Bòrd na Gàidhlig and Foras na Gaeilge. Together, the two organisations work in partnership to strengthen the Gaelic links between Scotland and Ireland with this event just one facet of their programme.

The aim is to promote dialogue between Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic speaking communities along with promoting awareness of the languages and cultivating friendships. While those friendships might be put aside on the field, off the pitch, Ó Ceallaigh says the venture is a resounding success.

“The last two occasions it has been on in Inverin, we got a huge crowd down to watch it. I suppose, people are very interested to see these lads with the narrow sticks and how they can hit the ball. It does generate a huge amount of interest in the area.

“So, I definitely think it has been a success so far. I suppose, there are an awful lot of similarities between Scotland and Ireland. It definitely does broaden your perspective culturally. While the languages are different, we can hold conversations with them because a lot of their words are the same.”

Ó Ceallaigh highlights that another aspect, aside from both sides love of hurling/shinty and their native language, is the ‘ceol agus craic’.

“When we go to Scotland, we would bring musicians with us and they would do the same when they come to us. So, it is always very interesting for the locals when the musicians come over and start playing.

“We also have a parade before the game as well and we usually have a musician leading that. So, it all adds to it and it very much achieves the objective of strengthening links between ourselves and Scotland.”

In 2012, a team comprising of Irish speakers from Ulster, ‘Fir Uladh’, also took part in the competition in Scotland and they will again be travelling to Inverin on Saturday, October 12, to face Micheal Breathnach’s second string side in the curtain-raiser to the main event.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.