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Striking practice: List of Ball Alleys / Hurling walls / Suitable Alternatives

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  • 09-04-2009 9:06pm
    #1
    IIMII
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,366 ✭✭✭


    In light of the beginning hurling thread, I thought it might be useful to start a thread on this.

    Off the top of my head, I know of Hurling Walls at Kilmacud Crokes (Stillorgan), Craughwell (Galway), Kiltale (Meath) and a half finished one in Faughs (Dublin).

    There is a ball alley in Blackrock College (discovered that by complete accident and it's huge), another on the west side of Kilkenny (beside a roundabout whose name I can't think of), and one I remember from years ago on Inis Mór.

    Anyone care to add to the list?


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    #2
    mal_1
    Registered Users Posts: 163 ✭✭mal_1


    Not so much adding as giving a link to an architectural link blog done by Aine Ryan to these beautiful and now quirky structures throughout the Irish landscape.

    http://www.irishhandballalley.blogspot.com/


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    #3
    LeoB
    Registered Users Posts: 4,254 ✭✭✭LeoB


    They are great. Every club should have one. We hope to build one this year. To get any value it does'nt have to be 60x30 some clubs wont be able to afford one but we are using a wall on our clubhouse and adapting it. We will do all the work or 90% of it ourselves.

    There was a time when ball alley's were in most villages. Wild Geese from Oldtown are one the smallest clubs in Dublin have a handball alley. They have a good tradition in Handball and having the alley will bring the players on a lot. There is a company from Offaly who build a percast structure and I think it may have 3 or 4 walls in one alley
    The christian Brothers had a lot of handball in their schools and I remember a few alleys in their retreat house in Balheary just outside Swords.


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    #4
    IIMII
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,366 ✭✭✭IIMII


    mal_1 wrote: »
    Not so much adding as giving a link to an architectural link blog done by Aine Ryan to these beautiful and now quirky structures throughout the Irish landscape.

    http://www.irishhandballalley.blogspot.com/
    Excellent site! Never saw it before. She might be interested in the disused handball alleys at Dalgan Park in Meath too, and I think there is one near Athboy as well (Rathmore?)

    Pity to see so many of them lying idle


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    #5
    taidghbaby
    Registered Users Posts: 2,746 ✭✭✭taidghbaby


    did Blackrock in Cork not have the first one???

    Also Glynn-Barntown in Wexford have by far an away the best one i've seen!

    (hurling walls that is)


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    #6
    mal_1
    Registered Users Posts: 163 ✭✭mal_1


    IIMII wrote: »
    Excellent site! Never saw it before. She might be interested in the disused handball alleys at Dalgan Park in Meath too, and I think there is one near Athboy as well (Rathmore?)

    Pity to see so many of them lying idle

    The idea of the site is to chronicle all these throughout the country, hence if know of one, photograph it and post it, with a small commentary. Which reminds me to do that this weekend.

    I think the dis-used and derelict ones which have been turned to alternative uses are the memorable ones.


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    #7
    yahoo_moe
    Registered Users Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭yahoo_moe


    I saw a hurling wall out in Portmarnock last time I played there too...


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    #8
    Yavvy
    Registered Users Posts: 2,598 ✭✭✭Yavvy


    judes have a nice one


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    #9
    IIMII
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,366 ✭✭✭IIMII


    And should anyone want to build a hurling wall (only two I could find from from google):

    http://www.bancrete.com/hurling-wall.htm

    And these boys have offers of some sorts at the moment:

    http://www.mulcairprecast.vpweb.ie/

    The Wallball is also dead handy for using against the wall. It's different to a plastic sliotar as it's great bounce, and warms up as it's used (more rubbery than plastic)

    http://www.cumashurling.com/wallball.asp


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    #10
    IIMII
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,366 ✭✭✭IIMII


    mal_1 wrote: »
    The idea of the site is to chronicle all these throughout the country, hence if know of one, photograph it and post it, with a small commentary. Which reminds me to do that this weekend.

    I think the dis-used and derelict ones which have been turned to alternative uses are the memorable ones.

    I might be able to add one or two to it if I get time over the next while..


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    #11
    Daysha
    Registered Users Posts: 4,908 ✭✭✭Daysha


    There's two great ball alleys in DLS college in Waterford city. Spent way too many evenings there avoiding studying for the Leaving Cert :o


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    #12
    GAAwebsite
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19 ✭GAAwebsite


    There's a couple of the old handball walls left around the place too.


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    #13
    hollywoodhoppy
    Registered Users Posts: 385 ✭✭hollywoodhoppy


    Here's a wall Banagher Concrete did in Thurles, they're seemingly the best around, Mulcair's do it too, its not a bad option and there's some guy in Cavan doing them too but they're fairly poor quality. We had Paidi Butler visit our club and he convinced our lads to get a Banagher one, its about 45ft wide and you can play on both sides, will try get pics of it up, looks well though

    Banagher Wall:

    http://durlasog.tipperary.gaa.ie/hurlingwall.html


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    #14
    IIMII
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,366 ✭✭✭IIMII


    Wow, that's some wall. How much did it cost do you mind me asking?


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    #15
    mal_1
    Registered Users Posts: 163 ✭✭mal_1


    This topic is been discussed on Radio 1 'Mooney Show' at the moment


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    #16
    shotcaller
    Registered Users Posts: 69 ✭✭shotcaller


    There's one in Lucan, 12th lock.


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    #17
    RHunce
    Registered Users Posts: 1,405 ✭✭✭RHunce


    theres one in mungret gaa club in co.limerick


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    #18
    DDC1990
    Registered Users Posts: 10,363 ✭✭✭✭DDC1990


    Should be plenty in Cork... they love their Strikes.


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    #19
    wexican
    Registered Users Posts: 152 ✭✭wexican


    Buffers Alley just outside Gorey in Wexford have one too.


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    #20
    BayCity
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26 ✭BayCity


    I remember Na Piarsigh in Cork had one:rolleyes:

    My Dad used to bring me upto the one in All Hallows afew times a week when I was younger.. but now its gonzo..


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    #21
    civildefence
    Registered Users Posts: 474 ✭✭civildefence


    The Grounds of St. Brendans Hospital in Grangegorman, Dublin has 2 disused handball alleys ideal for striking practice.


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    #22
    rebel girl 15
    Registered Users, Moderators, Education Moderators, Sports Moderators, Regional South Moderators Posts: 15,247 Mod ✭✭✭✭rebel girl 15


    Nenagh Eire Og club have a good one, used quite a lot by teams around the area - you can check out prices on the website, not too bad

    Mallow GAA club have two, only a couple of euro for an hour AFAIK


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    #23
    wixfjord
    Site Banned Posts: 5,346 ✭✭✭wixfjord


    Ferns St Aidans in Nth Wexford have one.


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    #24
    folan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,630 ✭✭✭folan


    there are several old walls around Maynooth on St. Pats campus, but unfortunatly many of them are in terrible shape of covered in moss and so on, or just used for storage. There is still one that ive seen people using as a stringing wall quite a bit though/.


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    #25
    aliocroc
    Registered Users Posts: 136 ✭✭aliocroc


    folan wrote: »
    there are several old walls around Maynooth on St. Pats campus, but unfortunatly many of them are in terrible shape of covered in moss and so on, or just used for storage. There is still one that ive seen people using as a stringing wall quite a bit though/.

    Yeah maynooth have a load on campus but only one in use-the rest are all housing building supplies and tables and moss!! The one that is operational isn't bad though-good and high and a good length-the back wall is a little small (for doubling) but thats all. For anyone trying to find it, its up behind the music dept on the old campus! Elsewhere in Kildare-St.Laurences, Narraghmore have built a new double H shaped hurling wall, Ros Glas outside Monastrevan have a single wall built, Clane have a huge single one, there's a huge one in Newbridge college (could be hard to use cos i know its in the grounds itself and security are there all weekend!), then Nurney and the Curragh camp have old handball alleys-both a bit neglected. Apparantly the Nurney one is great but gathers water a little when it rains so my bro brought a yardbrush to sweep it out, then the curragh camp one is a bit damp. the leaves make it a bit dodgey actually cos you end up slippin and sliding on one part in particular.

    After that, im up in ashtown in Dublin-i know Castleknock (St Brigids) are in the process of building a wall...after that i dunno much else!? I do know that the underground carpark in Superquinn Rathbourne has a LOVELY spot for it but i havent been man enough to use it and see if i was noticed. But has lights, a back and front wall, each about 20 ft high and no cars-they all go up to the second tier!! Interesting eh?

    Later folks! :D

    Al


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    #26
    Mardy Bum
    Registered Users Posts: 3,674 ✭✭✭Mardy Bum


    O Tooles in Dublin have a wide hurling wall.Its not very big though.Its flood lighted too.


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    #27
    Mardy Bum
    Registered Users Posts: 3,674 ✭✭✭Mardy Bum


    O Tooles in Dublin have a hurling wall and one wall handball courts either side of each other.


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    #28
    Peace
    Registered Users Posts: 2,758 ✭✭✭Peace


    Can anyone give directions to the alley in Casement Aerodrome, Balldonnell, Co. Dublin? Its listed on http://www.irishhandballalley.blogspot.com/ but I don't know where it is in the area.

    Thanks in advance...


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    #29
    Live4Ever
    Registered Users Posts: 539 ✭✭✭Live4Ever


    Brilliant hurling wall in Commericals (Rathcoole), its right on the Naas road, floodlight on both sides.


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    #30
    keeffe2001
    Registered Users Posts: 41 ✭keeffe2001


    Are the ball alleys in newtown park or blackrock college open to everyone? I'm working out in cabinteely and looking for a place to puck a few balls after work


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    #31
    Live4Ever
    Registered Users Posts: 539 ✭✭✭Live4Ever


    Peace wrote: »
    Can anyone give directions to the alley in Casement Aerodrome, Balldonnell, Co. Dublin? Its listed on http://www.irishhandballalley.blogspot.com/ but I don't know where it is in the area.

    Thanks in advance...

    I don't think this alley is open to the public. I drive past it all the time and it's actually in the airfield behind the big fence. I seriously doubt they let the public in to use it. You'd be better off going to commercials, it's literally 5mins away, and probably a better ball alley.


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