What ever became of the plastic hurl ?

Fr Tod Umptious

Great 45 year old piece here from the RTE Archives site about the introduction of a plastic hurl made by Wavin (famous for plastic pipes).

I'm not a hurling man myself but I take it they never took off ?

https://www.rte.ie/archives/2022/0309/1285296-wavin-plastic-hurl/

Cuddlesworth

https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/clash-of-ash-and-plastic-pretenders-34315973.html

According to this article, they were crap and didn't sell once word got out.

black & white

I remember the very unpleasant and painful vibrations very well. Horrible things.

JimmyVik

I remember getting a slap across the thigh by one. Jesus that stung.

munchkin_utd

the idea was developed further and a company called Cultec now make hurleys which are actually (to a non hurling expert like myself) ok.

https://www.cultec.ie/

A lot turn their nose up at the plastic hurley (including my other half!) but I wonder will attitudes change once wooden hurleys are either super expensive or unavailable due to the massive issues in sourcing enough ash. Joe Cannings family's hurley making business just went out of business there a couple of weeks ago as they couldnt get the supply of ash and other workshops are strugging too.

https://www.echolive.ie/corksport/arid-40841483.html

breezy1985

My school had the waving ones. They were useless for training as they acted nothing like an ash one, painful on the arm and all round useless.

Cultec appear to be the real deal but I think they are resin more than solid plastic.

Paddico

Hurl ??

Must be a Galway thing. Its most definitely a Hurley down our way

black & white

Hurley in Clare, Hurl in Wexford

gammygils

The oul Wavin hurley Eh? A friend of mine had one back in the day but if you hit the sliotar a decent skelp at all the vibrations up your arms was horrible

Hurley makers are indeed struggling to source ash according to reports. Canning's and other were relying on imported ash from Ukraine which has stalled now because of the war