We all know the legendary, mythical tale of how Finn McCool pulled off a piece of Ireland and hurled it into the Irish Sea during a heated dispute with a Scottish giant, creating what is now known today as the Isle of Man.
Well, a hurling club in Antrim, McQuillan GAC Ballycastle, could have their very own Finn McCool walking among them and a top contender for this year's Poc Fada.
A sliotar recently floated up onto the shore of the Isle of Man, discovered by an astonished passerby along with his son with the unmistakable name, marked in black ink, ‘Mac Uílín’ of McQuillan GAC Ballycastle hurling club, engrained across the front of it.
Páirc MacUílín, the home of McQuillan GAC Ballycastle, is located just 13 short miles away from the Giant’s Causeway where it’s said Finn McCool was building a walkway from Ireland to Scotland to take on his fierce rival, Benandonner.
Vel shiu er choayl yn vluckan shoh, @McQuillanGAC?
Hooar shin eh ayns shoh ayns Mannin fastyr jiu: https://t.co/XYHURta1KB#gaelg pic.twitter.com/y9QAzbXJkr— Manx James (@Manx_James) April 1, 2024
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An Antrim sliotar in the parish of Patrick
Who is the person responsible for firing the hurling ball the whole way across the Irish Sea? Who knows, but the finder of the sliotar believes it wouldn’t take too much in depth analysis to work out the striker of the ball.
“We thought it was fun to be able to locate where it came from when we came across it on the shore,” the retriever of the sliotar, James Franklin, told Balls.
“Judging from the fact that it’s not very weathered, I’d imagine it’d only been at sea a week or so, so probably those in Ballycastle will remember who was responsible for it ending up in the sea!”
The retriever will find some use for the sliotar is it isn’t reclaimed and insists he will bring it to ‘Cammag’, the traditional sport of the Isle of Man which is played every year on St Stephen’s Day as the North and South of the Island compete at St John’s.
“They’re welcome to collect it if they’re ever in the Island! If not, it will probably come with me to cammag each St Stephen’s Day, in case it’s needed as a back-up ball. My son, Finn, and I found it on Traie Harstal, in the parish of Patrick.”
It’s not the first time that some Gaelic Games accessories have landed on the very same shores, but the first time that it can be placed back to a specific location.
“This is an extremely obscure shore, far from any houses, down a precarious cliff-side, where the zig-zag path gives up at the end and you have to clamber down onto the rocks. The whole place will be inaccessible in a few months, once the bracken is back and overhead-height again.
“We found a Gaelic football on the shore not long ago, but sadly it wasn’t marked as coming from anywhere in particular. It’s nice to receive such things from your way every now and again!
It’s amazing how a sliotar sailed the whole way across to the Isle of Man and it’ll be interesting to see if Ballycastle reclaim their prized possession!
Sliotar gone for a swim 😳
Isle of Man! https://t.co/FMJ0QeRryc— McQuillan GA&CC Ballycastle (@McQuillanGAC) April 2, 2024
