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Composite rules shinty-hurling (sometimes known simply as shinty-hurling or, particularly in Ireland, compromise rules) is a hybrid sport which was developed to facilitate international representative matches between shinty players and hurling players.

Shinty-hurling is one of few team sports in the world without any dedicated clubs or leagues. It is currently played by both men's and women's teams only in tournaments or once-off internationals. The women's form of the game is called shinty/camogie.

Rules

The rules of the composite sport are designed to allow for neither side to gain an advantage, eliminating or imposing certain restrictions. The goals are those used in Hurling with 3 points for a goal and 1 for a shot over the bar. A stationary ball taken straight from the ground counts gives the scoring team 2 points.

Players may not catch the ball unless they are the keeper (or a defender on the line for a penalty) and this must be released within three steps. Players may not kick the ball but can drag the ball with their foot.

Although there is a statutory size for the ball to used in the games, there is often a custom of using a sliotar in one half and a shinty ball in the other.

Each half lasts for 35 minutes.

History

The first ever games played were challenge matches between London Scottish and London GAA in 1896 and Glasgow Cowal and Dublin Celtic in 1897 & 1898, with the first game played at Celtic Park.^[1] However, there was then a hiatus until Scottish representative teams and Irish sides took place in the 1920s. Following intermittent international games between Scotland and an all-Ireland team before the Second World War, controversy arose as the British Government put pressure upon the Camanachd Association to cease from cooperating with the Gaelic Athletic Association, disapproving of their perceived anti-British viewpoint^[2][2]

However, universities in both countries kept the link going after the war and this led to a resumption of international fixtures between the two codes in the 1970s.

After a long run of Irish successes, Scotland won several fixtures in a row before Ireland claimed the title again in 2009. Scotland's successes have been marred by a lack of interest from an Irish perspective. Unlike the international rules football tests between Australia and Ireland, few players from the top flight counties participate in the event, with often players from what would be deemed as weaker counties forming the Irish team.

2007 also saw the use of compromise rules as a way of developing the Gaelic languages in Ireland and Scotland by the Columba Initiative. A team called Alba, made up of Scottish Gaelic speakers, played Micheál Breathnach GAA, from Inverin, Galway. The project was repeated in 2008. ^[3] The Gaelic speakers international will be played for a 3rd time in 2010 in Portree in the Isle of Skye on 13 February 2010.

There are also Scottish/Irish women's and under-21s sides which have competed against one another.

In 2009, the first full shinty/hurling match in the United States took place between Skye Camanachd and San Francisco GAA.

Latest Senior Results

See also

• International rules football

References

External links

• Scotsman report on 2007 fixture
• Composite rules
• BBC report previewing 2009 fixture