Ash dieback will have a huge impact on hurley production in Tipperary

While the coronavirus continues to be the major ill spoken of in our country these days, another silent disease has the potential to cause major disruption and will literally be a game-changer in the coming years, according to many involved in the ancient game of hurling.

Ash dieback, a disease which has spread like wildfire though ash plantations in Ireland, the UK and on Continental Europe has the potential to wipeout tradtional hurley making as it becomes more and more difficult for craftsmen to source good ash for their product.

It is estimated that around 750,000 hurleys are produced every year in Ireland with about half made from Irish ash. The rest is made from ash imported through Irish sawmills from the UK and the Continent – Slovakia and Poland were a popular hunting grounds in recent years, but makers have found that not all ash grown in these countries suits the making of hurleys, as some of it can be less flexible and more brittle than found here at home.

Above: An ask tree with dieback

Traditionally, hurley-making is regarded as a cottage industry with a number of individual craftsmen working away as sole traders, styling their own hurleys and selling, usually to local clubs and individuals. There have been a number of attempts at mass production, but those who use hurleys tend to want their own style with specifica weight, balance, length and handle all being very important – the kind of style you will only get from sourcing your hurley from a craftsman, rather than off the shelf, you might say.

Of course there are many different styles of hurley around the country too and even within Tipperary, the styles vary greatly. Indeed, within one hurley-making enterprise, the style can vary hugely as evidenced from a trip to Bourke Sports in Borrisoleigh where Cathal and his team supplied most of the hurleys for the county and Munster champions, and All-Ireland club finalists. Not only did they kit the local lads out with their hurleys, but Bourke Sports also ensured that they looked the part by kitting them out with their gear as well.

Bourke Sports boast a number of different styles – from the Brendan Maher, to the Padraic Maher, to the Bonner Maher to the Noel McGrath, the Barry Hennessy and the Bourke style. They produce and stock hurleys for juveniles and adults from sizes 20-36” ranging in price from €10 for juveniles - €30 for an adult goalkeeping hurley.

The percentage of wastage in producing hurleys from planks of ash has gone up in recent times from about 10-20%. This is as a result of the quality of ash and when planks are being sourced for either juvenile of adult hurleys, the consistencies can vary greatly. The level of labour involved in bringing the hurleys from plank to finished product is very high and includes cutting out the shape of the hurley with a bandsaw, to sanding, spokeshaving, weighing, and in cases banding the hurley. If making to a specific model, the work is even greater and what is really crippling the big producers is the level of VAT at 23% which is imposed by the government – this is on buying and selling, so it is a double whammy.

Broken hurleys that can be repaired  could become a valuable commodity

The economical cost of producing hurleys for bigger production centres empoying a number of craftsmen would be closer to €35 but with other backyard producers selling at the €30 mark, they cannot afford to charge the higher price. Cutting the VAT rate would be a big help and would have the benefit of levelling the playing field somewhat.
So what does the future hold for the traditional ash hurley?

“Well it's getting more and more difficult to get good ash and I can see a situation arising down the line where we just will not be able to get timber for hurleys. I can't really see an alternative timber being used – some have been tried in the past, but they just don't have the same feel as ash. But who knows, maybe need will neccessitate a move away from ash in years to come. Even if good ash in planted today it would take between 25-30 years for it to be harvested and that's a long time to be waiting for ash,” Cathal Bourke said.

Hurley Repairs
Like a very comfortable boot, most hurlers have a favourite hurley and one they wish to keep for as long as they can. No matter how close to the model they get as a replacement, it won't just have that same feel as the stick you love the most. So, when it gets damaged, players like to have it repaired. The reality is that it will never be the same though. An extra hoop distorts the balance and even taking weight off to allow for the hoop doesn't quite do the trick, no matter how skilled the repair person might be. Cracks which are sealed up, will open again in time as the ash contracts and expands with the elements. And, the wear and tear will take its toll on the hurley with time.

But, with potential shortages coming down the line, hurley repairs will become more and more important as time goes on. Right now, hurlers are probably spoiled for choice of sticks available, but it is something they should not take for granted. Repairable hurleys could become a valuable commodity, and those who are able to repair hurleys could come into big demand.
The County Board, through Munster Council has organised basic and advanced hurley repair courses down through the years and are likely to do so again in the near future. So, if you have interest in gaining an invaluble skill for your club, keep an eye out for these courses, which usually run during the winter months.

The Composite Challenge
There have been a number of attempts to produce artificial, or composite hurleys, down through the years, with varying levels of success. These hurleys are usually produced from a plastic type material and have been promoted by various hurlers at different stages, including Tipperary captain Seamie Callanan at one stage. However, they have not taken off to the extent expected and it is usually down to the feel of the hurley being just that little bit different.

One of the advantages of the composite hurley is that they are all produced the same, so when you get used to using a style of stick you will simply be able to pick up another which will be the very same, again and again and again. They don't break as easily and they don't lose or gain weigh as time goes on. Neither does the substance expand or contract, so they have a lot going for them.

On the downside, striking the ball feels different, and the sticks can be slippy in wet conditions. The feeling is that they could be a big success for overseas players, but locally, hurlers still, by-and-large, want an ash plant.

A healthy ash tree, which can be used to make hurleys, is worth up to €220. However, a diseased tree would make only about €60 for firewood and this is the dilemna facing many a plantation owner. When plantations are harvested the incentive to re-plant ash is very low considering the threat of disease and also the length of time in takes to get a return on the investment – hurley makers, many of whom are memebrs of the Irish Guild of Ash Hurley Makers, prefer to have trees of between 25-30 years so that they can get decent butts from which to make the hurleys.

What is ash dieback ?
Ash dieback is a fungal diease which has wreaked havoc on ash plantations across the country and the latest scientific evidence suggests that eradication of the disease is no longer possible. Chalara or Ash Dieback disease is caused by the fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. Dieback symptoms in ash had been first noted in Poland in the early 1990's without any identifiable cause. The origins of the disease are not certain, but scientists have suggested the disease may have been introduced to Europe from eastern Asia.

The fungus which causes the disease has a complex life cycle. Infection first makes its way into a tree when the spores of the fungus are carried in the air and land on healthy leaves over the summer months. The fungus then grows into the leaves and down into the leaf petiole or rachis, and progressively into twigs, branches, and the stem.

The first confirmed finding of ash dieback disease in Ireland was made in October 2012 in a forestry plantation in County Leitrim which had been planted in 2009 with trees imported from continental Europe. However, these findings of infected plantations continued to increase, as ash dieback disease was found over much of the country including, unfortunately, in a number of plantations in The Premier County.

In April 2018 a Review of the National Response to ash dieback disease was announced. This was because it has become increasingly evident from continued findings supported by the latest scientific advice that eradication of ash dieback disease was no longer feasible. “Given this position, the Department has taken the view that its policy response must also change to one of living with the disease,” Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed said recently.

Above: Padraic Maher and Colin Fennelly - two of the finest wielders of the ash in the game at present

There are 25,000 hectares of ash forests in Ireland and 450,000 hectares of hedgerows, in which ash trees are a major component - and the majority of the ash trees in Ireland will be severely affected by ash dieback in the next decade.
In many cases, affected trees will eventually collapse and die. There are high costs involved in removing diseased ash trees next to roads, railways or public spaces, where they pose a risk to the public. British experts published research last year which predicted the cost of the disease there over the next decade would run to £15bn. And there are other costs associated with the loss of ash trees in the landscape. Ash trees provide support to a large range of insect, bird and microbial species, and are an essential part of the Irish landscape.

While protocols are in place to mitigate the impact of ash dieback in current forests, Teagasc is also working on long-term solutions that will allow healthy ash trees to be a part of the Irish landscape. About 1-2% of ash trees have shown a natural tolerence to ash dieback and Teagasc has a collection of about 200 genotypes that could be used to breed dieback-resistant seeds. Production of such seeds is a long term programme which may well take between a decade-and-a-half and two decades to come into play.

While tolerant seed is being tested and produced, research on the production of tolerant ash clones is also being carried out at Teagasc. Work on understanding what makes some ash trees tolerant is being done by using metabolomics to study the chemical composition of tolerant trees in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute in Germany. A collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in the UK is focused on the development of genetic markers for tolerance to ash dieback. Both chemical and genetic markers will allow breeders to identify easily which trees are truly tolerant to ash dieback and will speed up the breeding process. Teagasc also has a collaboration with the Lithuanian Institute of Forestry to naturally screen 1,000 Irish ash genotypes for tolerance to ash dieback.