It’s Official: Hurls no Longer an Offensive Weapon
Talking Balls Comments
Some years ago the PSNI, in a flurry of self congratulatory publicity, announced that they had extablished a hurling team to go alongside their gaelic football team. The zenith of their achievement was in getting to the final of an inter firms conpetition which was played in Pairc Esler in Newry. The team featured a few ringers but anyway I suppose the fatc that they were there and took part was the main thing.
It has emerged in the last week or so that the entire PSNI team may have in fact been breaking the law if reports from Derry City are anything to go by. Th Irish News reported that young Aaron Griffin (14), who plays for the Na Magha club in the city and is a member of the Derry development squad was pucking about outside his home.
He was approached by a few enlightened boys in blue who informed him that he should move on from the green where he was playing. When he objected, as you would, he was told that the hurley he was holding was an offensve weapon and that he could be arrested. The matter was taken up by Martina Anderson, recently voted the best looking Stormont MLA, beating off flaccid competition from Iris Robinson and Arlene Foster. Anyway, we digress.
The Polic Ombudsman was duly asked to consider the case and as a result the family received an apology from police and were told that all officers would now be told that hurls are not to be classed as “offensive”.??
A letter is due to be sent to every police station across the north which will come as a relief to the legion of hurlers in the PSNI.
For her part, Ms Anderson said: “I am delighted that the family are now satisfied and the police have reacted in this way. It is the kind of effective and efficient police service that we have been looking for.?Hours of training are put into this sport. It is a wonderful game and I am delighted that for the family that they have received this outcome.”
We believe the sport she is referring to is the sport of hurling, not the sport of baiting innocent young lads playing Ireland’s national sport.?It reminds us of the old chestnut, what’s the difference between a lad in Cork walking down the street with his hurley and a lad in Belfast wlaking down the street with his hurley. One is a young fella going to training, the other is a legitimate target. Hopefully those days have gone and the hurlers of Na Magha and the PSNI can go about their business and play the game they choose without interference from anyone else.
