Hoboken Guards Hurling Squad @ the Hoboken Irish Festival — TODAY

St. Patrick’s “Season” may be in the rear view, but the celebration of Irish heritage in Hoboken continues as the Hoboken Guards Hurling Club’s season gets under way.

“Hurling has a 156-year-old connection to Hoboken,” says founding club member David Cosgrove. “In one of the first hurling matches where a journalist reported on hurling in America, a contingent of 30 men from Kenmare, Kerry, living between in the Five Points region of Manhattan took the ferry to Hoboken, challenging Hoboken locals to play them in a hurling match, so the report tells us. No one took up the challenge.”

Now in its fifth year, the Hoboken Guards Hurling Club is not only the first New Jersey team to participate in the New York GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) league, but their also pretty good—regularly going all the way to the championships.

For novice players, Hoboken residents 16 and older are encouraged to join their rapidly growing club Tuesday nights from 8-9:30 p.m. at 1600 Park Ave for an introduction to the game.

“It is the most skilled, fastest, most beautiful game there is,” says Cosgrove. “Hurling is Ireland’s pride, and I’m proud to wear the Hoboken Guards black, red and white, to carry the hurley over my shoulder with people of all cultures in the club reborn in the town I love.”

Hoboken will have a chance to see its Guards play today at the Hoboken Irish Festival, with youth clinics, camogie (women’s hurling) and visiting squads from Philly and NYC:

Youth Events:
11:00-11:30am: U8/U10 – NY Camogie v Philly Camogie
11:30am-12 noon: U12 – NY Camogie v Philly Camogie
12 noon-1:00 pm: Youth Hurling Clinic
1:00pm-1:30pm: U8/U10 – NY Camogie v Philly Camogie
1:30pm-2:00pm: U12 – NY Camogie v Philly Camogie

Adult Events:
2.00pm-3.00pm: Hoboken Camogie v Philly U’14/adults
3.00pm-4.00pm: Hoboken Red Camogie v Hoboken Black Camogie
4.00pm-5.00pm: Manhattan Gaels Men B v Philly Men