Sliotar
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A sliotar (or sliothar - may derive from Irish sliabh, meaning "mountain" and thar meaning "across") is a hard solid sphere slightly larger than a tennis ball, consisting of a cork core covered by two pieces of leather stitched together. Sometimes called a 'puck' or 'hurling ball', it resembles an American baseball with more pronounced stitching. It is used in the Gaelic sports of hurling and camogie.
Early (pre-GAA) sliotars used various materials, depending on the part of the country:
- bronze
- wood and leather
- wood, rope and animal hair
Johnny McAuliffe is the Irishman who is credited with the modern design. Born in Tullybrackey, Bruff, Co. Limerick in 1896 he was both a hurler and a mender of some note.
Before his improvements the ball had the following general characteristics:
- Non-uniform: Tended to lose shape during play. Poor manufacturing produced inconsistent shapes
- Heavier: Minimum weight of 7 ounces (200 grams) as prescribed by GAA rules
- Cumbersome: Large horse-hair packed ball tended to lose shape during play
- Non water-resistant: Ball tended to become soggy during wet play
- Low-visibility: Brown ball tended to "get lost" against Cusack stand (constructed in 1937)
McAuliffe made the following changes:
- High-standard: Cork core, 2 piece pigskin with lip stitching
- Sure-flight: Maintains shape over course of game leading to safer play
- High-visibility: Hard-wearing white tanned pigskin impervious to grass stains
- Lighter: Weight of approximately 3.5 ounces (100 grams) - about half the original
- Water-resistant: Does not become heavy in wet weather leading to consistent handling
Given these changes, faster playing surfaces and fitter players hurling was transformed into the modern high-scoring game loved today.
