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Treaty United Takes on Hurling – With a Little Help from a Limerick Legend!

By Emma Dineen

Treaty United recently traded football boots for hurleys and headed to the Markets Field for something a little different, but very Limerick.


Photo Credit - KBD Photos

Ahead of the Munster and All-Ireland hurling season, some of the Treaty United staff and international players had the unique chance to try their hand at Ireland’s oldest and fastest field sport. And who better to show them the ropes than former Limerick hurler Gavin O’Mahony?

Now, if you know anything about Limerick sport, you know hurling is more than just a game, it’s tradition, pride, and in recent years, domination. Under John Kiely, the Limerick hurlers have taken home the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship five times in the past six years (2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023), along with a record run of Munster titles from 2019 to 2024. The county has become the team to beat, and it’s clear that the hurling flame is burning brighter than ever here.

Enter Gavin O’Mahony. The former Limerick midfielder, who lined out for the county from 2007 to 2017, brought the kind of knowledge and calm authority only a seasoned hurler can. A Munster champion in 2013, Gavin now coaches from time to time, and on this particular day, he was putting our Treaty crew through their paces.


Eight of our international players, plus two brave Irish staff members (hoping their roots might help them out), grabbed hurleys and jumped into action. Split into five imaginatively named duos — Team Uncatchables, Shots Fired, Not Making County, Stop Moving Closer To The Cones, and the ever-optimistic Just Keep It Together — they took to a pitch better known for football than for flying sliotars.

What followed? Controlled chaos, with plenty of laughs.

Gavin led them through pair drills, basic striking, hand-passing, and how to not take a hurley to the shin (mostly). There were skill tests, some unintentional air swings, and a now-infamous cone-striking challenge from distance that might have tested more patience than precision. Despite being total newcomers to the sport, the energy was top-class, and everyone was all-in from the first swing to the last.

One thing was clear: everyone brought serious competitive fire, and most walked off convinced they’d be lifting the Liam MacCarthy in Croke Park any day now, proudly lining out for Limerick (just don’t tell John Kiely).

But more than just a laugh, the day was a celebration of Limerick’s incredible sporting spirit. This city has always punched above its weight in sport, earning the title of European City of Sport in 2011, and that honour spans far more than GAA. From hurling and rugby to soccer and athletics, Limerick is built on a shared pride that connects clubs, athletes, and communities alike.


This event was a small example of what happens when different corners of the Limerick sporting family come together. It was about more than learning how to swing a hurley, it was about celebrating where we’re from, having fun, and reminding ourselves why sport is such a unifying force in this city.

We’re proud to be part of that tradition at Treaty United. And yes, we’re also proud to say no hands were harmed (permanently) in the making of this session, (sorry Tommy Barrett!).

Watch it back!
You can catch all the action — from top-tier talent to comedic moments — on the Treaty TV YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aMVFifJ_1g&t=4s 

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