Hurley Recommendations

MadMardegan wrote: »

I'm looking for recommendations on a hurley after I've just broken my old one.

I'm not a player but I enjoy going and having a puck around. Probably looking for one with a tin band/bands as I've just broken my old one by it cracking in half right down the middle.

I'm looking for 38". Can anyone point me in the direction of a good hurely maker.

Thanks a lot.

Where are you based. I don't know any who would regularly make a 38". 36" would be the largest made nowadays. You used to get 37" hurls years ago but haven't seen any in ages. What height are you?

Also don't put a band on it. All that does is hold the 2 bits together when it breaks. I've fixed plenty of hurls. To put a band on properly you are looking at 8-10 nails hammered through the hurl. Just weakens it and invariably it often cracks on a line straight through where a nail was.

Star hurls in Kilkenny. Excellent hurls, bit on the heavy side though.
I got one of those Cultec hurls, grand for pucking around. Different feel to it from an ash hurl - not as much vibration off it.

MadMardegan wrote: »

Sorry lads, should've mentioned I'm based in Dublin.

I'm 6'2 but after doing a bit of reading myself you're probably right about not needing a 38".

I would try and repair my hurley but it's literally in 2 separate pieces, don't think there's much point in trying to repair :P

Are Torpey Hurleys as good as the website claims?

Yeah 36" is plenty big for you. I'm 6' and use a 35".

Torpeys are grand. It's all a bit subjective with hurls as people with have preferences with regards the style and weight. I haven't got one off Torpeys in a few years. They used to supply the shops a good bit and those are best avoided. The ones in their own shop were better. At the end of the day the quality it comes down to quality of the ash used.

In Dublin you have 65hurls.com but in current circumstances just as easy to order from anywhere in Ireland.

If the one you have is broken on the boss it easily repairable if you know someone repairing them in your local club and if doing it properly with the right glue will be stronger than the original hurl.

Torpeys are nice but very overpriced at this stage

€39.99 for a goalkeeper hurley, most others in the €31 range


Plenty decent sites to order from Bourke Sports, Declan Barron Hurleys, Brian Walsh, Peter Flanagan

You won’t go wrong with any of them. 36” is plenty, lads over 6 foot are hardly using more than 35” these days

A 38 inch? Are you sure it is not a slash hook you are after?

The best one is the one you feel most comfortable with.

Not sure if they're still making hurleys as it's been a while since I picked one up but my favorite by a long shot was made by B. Barcoe & Sons. Decided to grab a couple Star sticks last year & have been really disappointed. they feel like baseball bats. My 33" Star is nearly 50% heavier than the 34" hurls from Phelans in Ballyhale and same w/the 34" from B. Barcoe. I'm in the states so have to get what they send me as opposed to going by a shop & having a feel, although I did pick up the two I mentioned while in ROI but Star hurley's were ordered($40 shipping!) so my opinion might be a bit off but more often than not I leave the Star sticks in the bag. The bulk doesn't seem to translate to more power or distance. quite the opposite in my experience. One feels like a precision instrument, the others just blunt tools in my experience*
For anyone living where it gets cold, real cold not Irish cold, get a Cultec. Once temps get around 20-25 F the ash cracks like glass. Also with the extreme heat it's nice to be able to keep it in the car w/out worries which can't be done w/ash. Not if you want it to last anyway. I only mention it because I like to always have something w/me in case I run into friends or see a nice wall.

*limited compared to most of you, just my $00.02

beauf wrote: »

Just out of curiosity has anyone found a carrying strap for carrying a couple of hurls over your back, with a gear bag etc.

Like on a bicycle. I know I could knock something up up something up with a bit of velcro and strap would be handy.

The bags that goalkeepers have might do the job. They can carry plenty of hurleys and you can wear it over your shoulder like a handbag.