Not a lot of action on this little guy’s end of the field.
None of the games counted in official standings of any sort.
So what was the point of the Delco Gaels Blitz, a day of Irish football and hurling played under the blazing sun on the athletic fields of Cardinal O’Hara High School last Sunday?
Probably nothing less than grooming the next generation of Philadelphia’s Gaelic athletes. And when it comes to the future of Gaelic games in the United States, there’s probably nothing more important.
Out on the artificial turf of the football field, the little kids held sway. While the big kids played on adjoining fields, some of the small girls and boys donned helmets and swung away with their hurling sticks—the really little ones played with plastic hurleys—at a ball that often seemed to elude a lot of them. Others hurtled up and down the field chasing a football.
On the sidelines, parents an coaches shouted encouragement: “Great kick, Brennan!” “Good goal, Siobhan!” (I’m making up the names, but trust me, the field was filled with Irish-sounding names.)
Some of the kids clearly knew what they were about—especially the footballers—and in some of the games they were evenly matched. There was some terrific action.
You could see that the future was in good hands.
We spent the afternoon slathering on sunscreen and slugging back water like everyone else. Here are some pictures from a really fun day.
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