The boys of King's College School, many of them Irish immigrants, are struggling to adapt the frenetic play of their beloved and ancient game of hurling (hurl-ing) ...BBCBBCTravelPaidandPresentedBy:AboutthisHurlingandHockeyTheintertwinedhistoryofIreland'sancientsportandCanada'snationalpastimeSometimes,nationalidentitiesaren’tsomuchinventedasimprovised.PictureafrozenpondinWindsor,NovaScotia,sometimearound1800.TheboysofKing’sCollegeSchool,manyofthemIrishimmigrants,arestrugglingtoadaptthefreneticplayoftheirbelovedandancientgameofhurling(hurl-ing)tothefrigidCanadianconditions.Thestorychangesdependingonwhotellsit,butthemostfamousoneclaimsthatprincipalWilliamCochrane,apriestfromOmaghinCountyTyrone,directedthattheboysstartplayingthesportwiththeballonthegroundratherthanbalancingitonthethinstick—or“hurley”—aswastraditional.Itwaswiththissimplesuggestionthat“hurleyontheice”wasborn,andthephenomenonquicklyspreadasthesoldiersatnearbyFortEdwardtookitup.ThegamemadeitswaydowntoHalifaxandthenbeyond,assoldiersweretransferredtopostsfurtheralongtheStLawrenceRiverandintotheGreatLakes.Thehistoryisalittlefuzzyfromthere,but,overtime,“icehurley”blurredinto“icehockey”,andayoungnationhaditsnationalsport.WhenDublin-baseddocumentaryproducerÉamonnÓCualáinwasfirsttoldthisstorybyhisbrother-in-lawinTorontoin2005,hewasskeptical.“ThisisanotherIrishyarn,”herecallsthinking.“We’retryingtoclaimwebuilttheworldagain.”Butit’sayarnthatstuckwithhimovertheyears.In2017,alongwithco-producerSamKingston,ÓCualáintravelledtoCanadatomakethedocumentary“PocnanGael”(PuckoftheIrish).HisdocumentarytracestheroleofIrishimmigrantsindevelopingthesport,andtravelstoMontrealwhereateamcalledtheMontrealShamrockswonback-to-backStanleyCupsin1899and1900,longbeforetheyevolvedintotheMontrealCanadiens.ÓCualáinalsoheadstoToronto,wherethecity’sbelovedMapleLeafsbegantheirlifeastheTorontoStPats.Thisisnotaforgottenhistory–itremainscommemoratedeveryyearonStPatrick’sDay–butforÓCualáin,therewasadeeperstorytobetoldaboutIreland'spatronsaintbeyonda