Sir, – The discussion in the letters page about the precedent of calling a camán a hurl could have important sporting consequences.
While Ned Monaghan (Letters, August 8th) worried that it would mean a donkey would be called a "donk", I don't think this would not necessarily follow.
While those melancholy beasts of burden could probably retain their name, unequivocally the children’s game “Donkey” would be affected. The ball should I believe logically become the “Donk”.
It may be wise to standardise the terminology as, looking at recent trends, I expect it will soon be adopted as an Olympic sport, perhaps alongside rhythmic shelf-stacking and synchronised basket-weaving. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN O’BRIEN,
Kinsale, Co Cork.
Sir, – On the name of the implement that we use to play hurling, a letter to this newspaper in December 1882 clearly refers to the implement used to strike the ball as a hurl. Michael Cusack in his response did not see fit to make any correction. So please feel free to continue to use hurl in referring to the implement that players in a hurling contest use as they contest for possession of the ball. – Yours, etc,
P KENNY,
Clontarf, Dublin 3.
Sir, – In Co Cavan in my time, young men never “hurled”, except of course to throw the odd stone, another favourite sport. They simply played a “game of hurley” with “hurley sticks”. So there! – Yours, etc,
MARION WALSH,
Donnybrook , Dublin 4.
A chara, – Having played hurling at club and county levels for over 30 years in Dublin and Wexford, and managed camogie, I never once heard the camán described as anything other than a hurl. Quite obviously I spent too much time hurling instead of attending to my verbs and nouns. – Is mise,
DECLAN MacPARTLIN,
Camolin,
Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.
Sir, – In my youth, back in the late 1940s in a remote Co Wexford village, Clonroche, I was a keen hurler.
We had a great local craftsman who made the best hurls. We regarded “hurley” as a somewhat upmarket word. He sought out young ash trees that had a bend near the roots, the best in the business. I recall these cost about seven shillings, which was very expensive then. But I remember the word “stick” was in use and was not regarded as “an abomination”.
Due to the poverty in rural Ireland in those days, I emigrated to London. I took my “stick” with me. Unfortunately my landlady did not know its significance and burned it as firewood! But I took up soccer, which they called football, and never looked back. – Yours, etc,
WILLIAM MURPHY,
Malahide, Co Dublin.
Sir, – Camogie skirts all these arguments! – Yours, etc,
MICHELE SAVAGE,
Dublin 12.