GAA warn that ash disease threatens the traditional method of hurl production

The GAA are working to try and prevent a doomsday scenario for hurling.

Croke Park has issued a stark warning that the modern method of producing hurls is under threat, as fears grow over the spread of ash dieback disease across Europe. The GAA's director of games development and research, Pat Daly, revealed today there are currently 300,000 hurls made every year by craftsmen to meet demand. However, speaking at today's launch of the new Hurling Development Action plan, the Limerick native admitted the GAA has a key concern over the production of ash and its knock-on impact for the manufacture of hurls in the next decade. He explained that new methods of producing hurls may have to be found due to an increase and spread of ash dieback disease. Daly revealed that to try and reduce the waste produced in the manufacture of hurls, as well as being more economical with the wood, there may be a number of options to make hurls that are actually not one single piece of ash anymore, but instead are 'jointed' together. Currently hurl makers need the butt of an ash tree to try and make one hurl. But the new methods would not require the ash butt exclusively to create the finished product. Daly also claims that some of the hurls in the future may be made of fibreglass, and that ash will actually be moulded onto the hurl instead at the bás. He also explained that the GAA is looking to set up a number of initiatives to try and tackle the spread of the disease. Today's launch also looked at the key areas the GAA are looking to develop over the coming years under the guidance of the hurling development committee. The action plan for 2015-2018 will see a major change to the structure of the All-Ireland B and C minor hurling series, as they are replaced with a new competition called the 'The Celtic Challenge'. Replacing the All-Ireland Minor B and C grades, the Celtic Challenge will instead see teenagers who are not involved in exams at 16 and 17 play various games during the summer months in a round-robin style competition. The cups on offer will be named after some of those killed on Bloody Sunday in Croke Park, such as Michael Hogan and Jerome O'Leary, while the GAA are hoping that the new competition will aid development of both the players and their clubmen, in what they describe as "lifelong learning" initiative.