Cornish Hurling Town v Country Shrove Tuesday at St Columb 1950-2005

Cornish Hurling Medieval Sports Town v Country

Winners 1950-2005

YearShrove Tuesday Winning TeamWinning Player
1950CountryDenis Ellery
1951TownDesmond Stephens
1952TownPat Morris
1953CountryTony Williams
1954TownGeorge Roseveare
1955CountryGraham Wills
1956TownTony Hawkey
1957CountryMichael Weldhen
1958CountryMichael Weldhen
1959TownIvan Smith
1960CountryMichael Weldhen
1961TownTony Hawkey
1962TownMichael Tabb
1963Town & CountryLost Ball !
1964TownGary Hawken
1965CountryMichael Weldhen
1966TownRichard Rundle
1967TownIvan Smith
1968TownDavid Green
1969CountryMichael Weldhen
1970TownAllan Chapman
1971TownGeoffrey Cole
1972CountryMichael Weldhen
1973TownDavid Osborne
1974CountryRobert Weldhen
1975CountryRobert Weldhen
1976CountryRobert Weldhen
1977TownMike Hitchens
1978TownBrian Hellings
1979TownTony Parkin
1980TownTony Parkin
1981TownBill Scott
1982TownStuart Nicholas
1983TownDarren Austerfield
1984CountryRobert Weldhen
1985TownBill Scott
1986TownIain Robinson
1987TownDavid Rogers
1988CountryRobert Weldhen
1989CountryRundle Weldhen
1990CountrySean Johns
1991CountryRobert Weldhen
1992CountryRobert Weldhen
1993TownSid Bennett
1994TownMark Windebank
1995CountryPhilip Ellery
1996CountryAlex Cole
1997TownJamie Lomax
1998TownDarren Hawkey
1999TownSean Johns
2000TownMark Coleman
2001TownMark Coleman
2002TownPhil Morris
2003TownSean Johns
2004TownNick Gregory
2005CountryAdam Ellery

History

Every Shrove Tuesday in St. Columb’s, Cornwall, the game of Hurling is played between ‘Town’ and ‘Country’. The night before resembles a ghost town as all the shops are boarded up and shuttered before the game is played the next day. There are no limits to the numbers of players in the game, with each player playing for either the ‘Town’ or ‘Country’. The game kicks off with the words “Town and Country do your best. but in this parish I must rest.”.

Traditionally, the game was played between the men of St. Columb, but is now played by the children. [3]

The Game can last a few minutes or it can last hours depending on how quickly the winning team can get the ball to the goal. The winning player who carries the ball to the goal has the option of keeping the ball and paying for a new one by a local craftsman. On the 4th March 2003 Sean Johns won it for the ‘Town’, his third time winning it. In 2002 Scot Bennett became the youngest ever winner, at 11-years-of-age. After the match is over another tradition is partaken , when the silver ball is dipped in the winners drink. [1]

The ball is constructed traditionally, out of silver with an applewood core, taken from a local orchard.

References

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Websites

[1] BBC Cornwall (2003) Hurling at St. columb in the 21st Century [Internet] Available from; http://www.bbc.co.uk/cornwall/villages/stories/stcolumb_hurling.shtml [Accessed 7 March 2018]

[2] The Beehive | Internet Archive (2006) Hurling Winners 1950-2005 [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20060218093026/http://beehive.thisiscornwall.co.uk/default.asp?WCI=SiteHome&ID=661&PageID=73544 [Accessed 13 June 2019]

[3] St. Ives Web Community TV (2013) The St. Ives Feast and the Silver Ball [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20130819100810/http://stivestv.co.uk/whatson/feast_day_2013.htm [Accessed 13 June 2019]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Ciaran Columb.

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American & World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 10 November 2020

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2019-2020

You are may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.

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