School: Baurnafea, Paulstown (roll number 807)
- Location:
- Baurnafea, Co. Kilkenny
- Teacher: Sean Moffat
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0861, Page 328
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- XML Page 328
- XML “Cluichí a Chleachtann Muintir na hÁite seo - Football”
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- If the people of the 60's worked hard they also entered their play with earnestness & wholeheartedness. Sunday was play day - Sunday afternoon. The whole district seemed to turn up at one of the two recognized playing fields - the field at Bridget's lane or ___ field in Bornafea.
Football was the favourite game. Hurling seems to have had little hold on the people of Bornafea. The football was larger than the present day ball, and was made of horse skin. A team of later years, no doubt recalling the prowles of their fathers, called themselves 'The Horse skins" The case was fitted with a pig's bladder, and the finished article was not gauranteed to be round. James Staunton was rather hazy about rules. At first it seems there was no boundary. The player just got the ball and hung on to it as long as he could. Then he remembered the game played from ditch to ditch. No togs were worn, the players just took off their coats and got to work. The game was very rough and the mean player used his heavy brogues to knock out an opponent. In spite of the roughness the women used to take part. As far as Mr. Staunton could remember no definite number of players made up a team. All joined in. Rivalry existed between the Bornafea & Shankill (Paulstown) teams. In one of these matches some Bornafea players were hurt in a way that(continues on next page)
