MHC Dish From the Pitch 2013 MHC Dish From the Pitch

WEEK 7- July 7, 2013

HURLING FROM BELFAST TO BREW CITY
by Tony Gilbert

photo credit: Ellen Burmeister
After watching him puck around with
his friends at the pitch, I caught up with
Gareth Walsh, a 15 year old who hails from
Belfast in County Antrim. Gareth is spending 4
weeks this summer living with his new friend,
Jacob Webb, as part of the Ulster Project.
Already he has been to a couple of 4th of July
fireworks shows, and this week is headed off
to Six Flags for some high speed rides and
thrills.
An avid sportsman, Gareth plays
Hurling, Gaelic Football, and Basketball.
Hurling is his first love and his home club is
the Belfast Sarsfields where he plays center
half back. Gareth explained that while he is in
the US his teammates would be in Carlow
battling for the All-Ireland under-16 Blitz title.
Gareth’s family have a deep hurling
background. Both his Dad and Grandad played
for Sarsfields and his Great Grandad had the
distinction of being the first man to captain
Antrim to the Senior Hurling All Ireland Final
in 1911. He has been fortunate to avoid major
injuries, apart from some knocks on the

fingers, (oh and the minor issue of getting the
end of a hurl through his visor), and attributes
this to his “go in swinging style.”
Sunday was Gareth’s first experience of
hurling Milwaukee style and he was very
impressed. He especially enjoyed the family
atmosphere, the multiple barbecues, tent
village, and the constant puck arounds going
on. He thought of his Dad, who is 46 and
hasn’t played in 15 years, and relished the
thought of them both being drafted and
playing side by side in our league, (Captain
Jack…… file that idea away for next season).
During his stay, Gareth expected to see lots of
food and Mustangs. He hasn’t been
disappointed with the food, even if “the bacon
is terrible”, but the Mustangs have been less
plentiful than he expected.
Other Gareth tidbits –
Favorite movie – Shawshank
redemption…”Morgan Freeman is the
best.”
Favorite Singer – Macklemore
Favorite Song - Thrift Shop
Gareth’s Hurleys – 32” Cultec and
32”Setanta
Favorite Hurler – MHC player Andrew
Goelz………I mean Henry Shefflin (“He
does everything right”)
Keeping up with his athletic endeavors
will be even more of a challenge next year as
Gareth balances his love of the game with his
studies for the GSCE’s (O Level exams). If you
see Gareth at the pitch over the next couple of
weeks be sure to say hello and wish him well
in in his hurling future and with his upcoming
exams.