Hurling Experience: Dive into Irish Culture in Kilkenny

Experience the thrill of Hurling, the fastest field game in the world, with O’Loughlin Gaels. Join our 1-hour tour in Kilkenny City, where you’ll learn about the history and evolution of Hurling, and even try your hand at the basic skills. Immerse yourself in Irish culture!

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Hurling Tours Ireland - Visitors will gain a unique cultural Irish experience through the native sport of hurling. Established in the home of hurling, Kilkenny, guests will be given the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in Irish culture by attempting Irelands most ancient and cultural past time. The activity begins with an introduction to…
What's Included
  • Local guide
  • Use of hurling sticks
  • Use of hurling helmets
  • Use of hurling balls
  • Parking facilities
  • Toilet facilities
What's Not Included
  • Transportation to/from attractions
Additional Information

At Hurling Tours Ireland, we offer a distinctive cultural Irish experience for our guests. Based in Kilkenny, the birthplace of hurling, we provide an opportunity for visitors to deeply engage with Irish culture by trying out our oldest sport, hurling. This game, rich in tradition and history, is played with unparalleled passion and intensity.
Our…

Location
O'Loughlin Gaels GAA Club
Hebron Road
We meet all guest at the Dressing Room at O'Loughlin Gaels GAA Grounds before we commence the Tour.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(141 Ratings)
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Susan
Jul 30, 2025
Awesome Irish Hurling Experience! - Really enjoyed trying hurling together with my family, including 2 teenage boys. James is a fantastic teacher and made me feel comfortable even though I lack any type of sports aptitude! He made it fun with the drills and even took some fun pictures and videos with my phone which we enjoy. Also, his love for the sport is completely infectious. Great to learn more about the sport that the Irish are absolutely mad about. Highly recommend, especially if you have kids!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
O589ockarab
Jul 23, 2025
Awesome excursion - highly recommend! - James was exceptionally kind and helpful as he explained hurling and showed us how to play. The experience was one of our highlights and my husband wants to find a hurling club in Michigan now! It is a very family-friendly outing, and a lot of fun! Special shout out to James’s nephew Charlie who was also patient and helpful as our group did our best to whack the sliotar over the bars and in the goal! I highly recommend this outing - learn about Irish history and culture and play one of the most ancient sports in the world!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
R5088fljamiec
Jul 22, 2025
- Our group of 7 had a fantastic time learning about hurling! Our age ranged from 19-57 and everyone enjoyed it. We were on a 5 city tour of Ireland and to get out of the car and be able to move around for a while was great. James did a great job explaining what Hurling is, it's place in Ireland and then walked us through different activities to try out hurling. I would definitely recommend this for anyone!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vicki_b
Jul 22, 2025
Hurling? Yes! - Terrific intro to Hurling. My husband and I had just heard about Hurling when coincidentally we saw this opportunity in Kilkenny. James was a great "coach" to our small group of newbies across ages (kids to seniors). We had an opportunity to learn and try out some basic skills and play a fun little game. Definitely, a nice complement to other kinds of touring in Ireland. Also a rare opportunity to learn about the sport in arguably the most Hurling - crazed city in Ireland. Go Cats!
Review provided by Viator
Inspire635946
Jul 22, 2025
Hurling unique experience. - This was so incredibly fun. Our coaches did an amazing job teaching us the individual aspects of the game and then we got to play a bit of a match. All of the international students from the DCU, including my Italian ones, were really excited to try this traditional Irish sport. . If you are looking for something unique to do, especially for groups of teenagers, but still very much an Irish cultural experience, this is definitely worth doing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cynthiamf8307jc
Jul 9, 2025
Family time at its best!!! - This was an amazing experience for our family. The instructor was incredible, patient, knowledgeable and entertaining.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Holly_r
Jul 2, 2025
Best day! - James was an engaging and knowledgeable coach! We learned about the history and significance of hurling. Then he took us through a training practice. He was patient and helpful. My 3 teenaged boys loved this break from touring and history walks. We are now big fans. Thank you!
Review provided by Viator
Kurtmbr
Jun 21, 2025
Superb intro to Ireland's national sport - This was a highlight of our 10-day trip to Ireland. Lots of great instruction and chances to practice techniques. James kept things fun and the time was engaging. It was great that he took pictures and videos so we could focus on learning the game. Thank you!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Scott_m
Jun 20, 2025
Amazing and Fun Time Learning and Playing - What a wonderful experience with James! This sport is woefully unknown outside of Ireland and we had an unbelievable time learning about it, practicing our skills, and taking our shot at one and three points (not pints)! If you are looking for a true Irish experience and learning about this game that is so integral to Irish heritage, I could not recommend this enough!
Review provided by Viator
Stelligh
Jun 14, 2025
Hurling Happiness - Absolutely great way to spend 90 minutes or so learning about Hurling and even having a go! Fun and informative. A* highly recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $35
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).