{"id":260740,"date":"2026-04-10T07:18:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T07:18:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/260740\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T07:18:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T07:18:10","slug":"how-irelands-national-sport-found-a-home-in-sacramento","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/260740\/","title":{"rendered":"How Ireland\u2019s national sport found a home in Sacramento"},"content":{"rendered":"

On a recent sunny Saturday morning, about a dozen players gathered on the fields of Sacramento\u2019s Land Park for preseason practice.\u00a0<\/p>\n

About half sported purple and gold striped jerseys, with a shield-shaped patch on their chest. The crest features crossed sticks, the iconic silhouettes of the Tower Bridge and the State Capitol dome, and is crowned with two words \u2014 Sacramento Kavanagh\u2019s<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Kavanagh\u2019s are a hurling team \u2014 an ancient Gaelic sport described as being a mix of baseball, lacrosse and field hockey, and known colloquially as \u201cthe fastest sport on grass.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hurling is also Ireland\u2019s national sport, with a rich history dating back thousands of years and deeply intertwined with Gaelic culture.<\/p>\n

And for the last year, it\u2019s taken root in the capital region.<\/p>\n

Founding the Kavanagh\u2019s<\/p>\n

David Neligan founded the Kavanagh\u2019s, and grew up playing hurling in Ireland. \u201cI probably got my first hurling stick when I was four years old,\u201d he told Insight Host Vicki Gonzalez<\/a>. \u201cMy uncle is actually a hurley maker back in Ireland\u2026 I started very young.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neligan moved to the United States in 2022, originally settling on the East Coast. \u201cI traveled around Connecticut, Maryland,\u201d he explained, \u201cI had hurling everywhere else, so I had to bring it to Sacramento.\u201d<\/p>\n

He started the Kavanagh\u2019s as a way to connect with others, reaching out to prospective players via LinkedIn, Instagram and other social media. \u201cA lot of cold-calling people trying to find the Irish community, the Irish-American community\u2026 baseball clubs, lacrosse clubs, things like that,\u201d Neligan explained.<\/p>\n

\"SeanSean Anayah (left), David Neligan (center) and Kai Uchio (right) warm up during a Sacramento Kavanagh’s practice Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Sacramento.Gerardo Zavala\/CapRadio<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know anybody, so it was a great way for me to try and meet people\u2026 and thankfully we\u2019ve grown a fantastic club in a short space of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to co-founder Noel Dempsey, the team\u2019s name honors Monsignor Edward Joseph Kavanagh. Originally from Ireland, Kavanagh was a longtime pastor at St. Rose Parish in Sacramento and a decorated hurler.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe won an All-Ireland [Championship] in 1947 with Kilkenney,\u201d Dempsey said. \u201cHe was here in the ministry for decades… he was a good hurler, one of the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hurling 101<\/p>\n

Hurling is a tough, physical sport with 13 players per team on the field, wearing cleats and a protective helmet. Each player carries a curved stick \u2014 traditionally made of ash \u2014 called a hurl or hurley, which is used to hit a hard leather-wrapped ball called the sliotar.<\/p>\n

To score, a team needs to hit or kick the sliotar into the opponent\u2019s goal for three points. Players can also hit the ball through a pair of uprights above the net for one point.<\/p>\n

\"AA pair of sliotars lie in the grass during a Sacramento Kavanagh’s practice Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Sacramento.Gerardo Zavala\/CapRadio<\/p>\n

But getting to the goal is another matter. Players have to scoop up the sliotar off the ground with the hurley, and they cannot throw the ball to score. Passes must also be made with the hurley or a hand pass, something Jack Barnes said took some getting used to after he joined the Kavanagh\u2019s last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to sort of volley it off your hand like in volleyball; you can’t just throw it like a baseball,\u201d he explained. \u201cThen you have four steps with the ball before you have to hit it back off your hurley, and you get another four steps.\u201d<\/p>\n

During this entire process, Barnes said, you\u2019re going up against a strong defense. \u201cThere\u2019s people running at you, trying to knock you down or take the ball from you,\u201d he explained. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot harder than it may sound.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"JackJack Barnes (right) escapes from Connor Whaley (left) during a practice scrimmage Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Sacramento.Gerardo Zavala\/CapRadio<\/p>\n

While the learning curve can be steep, Barnes said the Kavanagh\u2019s make the experience welcoming to beginners. \u201cIt’s just good vibes from start to finish every day,\u201d Barnes said with a smile. \u201cUp the Kavs!\u201d<\/p>\n

One of those new faces was Gareth Durham, who was at his first practice. \u201cI saw it on an Instagram reel, asked about it, and they brought me out here,\u201d he explained while practicing his hand passes.<\/p>\n

\"NewNew hurling player Gareth Durham scoops up a sliotar with his hurley Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Sacramento.Sarit Laschinsky\/CapRadio<\/p>\n

Durham said he previously ran cross-country and played baseball, skills that were translating over to hurling. \u201cI think baseball helps fielding, grounders catching the ball with your hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, figuring out the hurley itself was proving to be a bit of a challenge. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of like what you think a cricket stick would look like, plus a baseball bat? [I\u2019m] just finding the sweet spot on it,\u201d Durham explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe seems really into it. We need to get more Gareths,\u201d Neligan remarked at the end of practice, after seeing the group\u2019s newest recruit in action.<\/p>\n

Game on<\/p>\n

After a series of warmups, it was time for the scrimmage. The Kavanagh\u2019s divided into two groups, grabbed their hurleys and strapped on their helmets.<\/p>\n

Players darted around one another as they called for their team to get open, defenders to make a block, or someone to shoot on goal. The sliotar flew through the air, along with the occasional bit of colorful language, usually ending with a solid \u201ccrack\u201d as the ball made contact with a player\u2019s hurley.<\/p>\n

The camaraderie on the field was tangible. Completed passes were rewarded with compliments or cheers; a narrowly-missed shot met with encouragement and support. Neligan jumped in as well, occasionally coaching and pointing out improvements. \u201cThere\u2019s a few too many stray passes, take the simple pass!\u201d he told players during a reset.<\/p>\n

\"SacramentoSacramento Kavanagh’s players scrimmage during a team practice Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Sacramento.Gerardo Zavala\/CapRadio<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re definitely working on finding space; we tend to get clustered up as a team,\u201d said Kai Uchio, one of the Kavanagh\u2019s founding players. \u201cPut the ball to open space, let our teammates go make a play\u2026 trust they\u2019re going to outrun their guy, that\u2019s what we\u2019re looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Uchio said that mutual support keeps him coming back, and as the team prepares for upcoming matches these lessons make sure they stay competitive.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe might be out-skilled by the other team, we might be out-fundementaled, but we\u2019re not going to be out-efforted; that\u2019s my rule for this team,\u201d Uchio said. \u201cJust making sure everyone\u2019s giving 100% effort all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

“My people play it”<\/p>\n

For Marlin \u00d3 Ciarmhaic, playing on the Kavanagh\u2019s is a connection to his heritage. Originally from Lancaster, California, \u00d3 Ciarmhaic said he had been generally familiar with hurling, and bought his first hurley from Ireland about six years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know where any teams were at. I heard they played on Treasure Island, but I didn\u2019t really have any knowledge about how to get over there or how it worked,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

That changed last August when \u00d3 Ciarmhaic joined the Kavanagh\u2019s. \u201cIt was just something I\u2019ve always wanted to do, but just didn\u2019t know where,\u201d he said, adding that playing gives him a sense of pride.<\/p>\n

\"MarlinMarlin \u00d3 Ciarmhaic (left) catches a hand pass from David Neligan (right) during a Sacramento Kavanagh’s practice Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Sacramento.Gerardo Zavala\/CapRadio<\/p>\n

\u201cMy family at one time played this, my people play it,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s part of our DNA, it goes back into our traditional history, it\u2019s our national sport.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also noted that, unlike many sports, hurling is an all-amateur affair with players in it for the love of the game. \u201cWe have numbers, we don\u2019t have names on our jerseys,\u201d \u00d3 Ciarmhaic said. \u201cAt the end of the day you can play [in front of] like 80,000 people, and then after that you go back to being your accountant, your doctor, whatever you happen to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Future of the Kavs<\/p>\n

The Kavanagh\u2019s have a busy season ahead with multiple matches scheduled against teams in the Bay Area, where they will play on Treasure Island.<\/p>\n

But looking toward the future, plans are on the table for broadening the player base. \u201cWe want to have not just men\u2019s teams, we want to have ladies\u2019 teams too,\u201d Neligan explained. \u201cWe also want to develop a youth program. We have ambitious, long-term goals for this club.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"NoelNoel Dempsey helped found the Sacramento Kavanagh’s, and is glad to see the sport of hurling catch on in Sacramento.Gerardo Zavala\/CapRadio<\/p>\n

That prospective women\u2019s side would play a nearly-identical sport called camogie, something Dempsey is particularly excited about. \u201cMy wife\u2019s big into camogie; she\u2019s done everything, won everything,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Dempsey retired from hurling several times before helping to found the Kavanagh\u2019s, and he\u2019s glad to see the sport take off. \u201cIt\u2019s a great start\u2026 I\u2019ve never seen this many starting up a club before,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Kavanagh\u2019s continue to welcome new members aged 18 and over, who just need to bring a pair of cleats and a desire to learn. But above all, Neligan says players\u2019 wellbeing and the club\u2019s values remain front and center.<\/p>\n

\u201cInclusion, community, dedication, competitive spirit and respect\u2026 we want to create a safe and fun environment,\u201d he explained.\u00a0 \u201cWe all hang out after work together, or after practice together. It\u2019s building a community.\u201d<\/p>\n

A community that can often be found gathering at the East Sacramento pub, The BonnLair.<\/p>\n

\u201cWin or lose, you tend to end up in the pub drinking a few pints of Guinness,\u201d Neligan said. \u201cThat tends to be the celebration afterward.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n


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