A worn white ball with curved stitching like a baseball lies on a pitch of sunny grass.

The ball is called a sliotar, pronounced “slit-er.” | Photo by Adrian via Pexels

There are many ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, but have you heard about hurling? No, not that kind of hurling. We’re talking about the Irish sport.

What is hurling?

This ancient Gaelic game is the national sport of Ireland and looks a bit like field hockey played with a baseball.

Players use a wooden stick to pass and score points by shooting through the opponent’s goalpost. Players use the stick (called a hurl or hurley) to hit and balance the ball (called a sliotar).

Want to learn all the official rules? Check out the US Gaelic Athletic Association (USGAA).

Get involved

Whether you want to hurl yourself onto the field or be a spectator, the Seattle Gaels have you covered.

Our local team was established in 1979, but started out as a Gaelic football team (which is sort of like a rugby hybrid). The organization expanded in 1997 to include Camogie — the same game as hurling, but played by women — and in 2004, the Seattle hurling club merged with the Gaels in order to add the sport to its repertoire.

In addition to its games (and as part of the local Irish Heritage Club), the org also regularly enjoys social activities like barbecues, pub crawls, and an annual Rock Paper Scissors tournament.

Sound like fun? Of course it does. Here’s how you can join the action:

Join the team’s email list to get updates on games and other fun events.
Head out to one of the team’s games. Saturday, March 25 is the team’s next Open Field Day at Magnuson Park where interested locals can give the games a try — no experience required.
Go all in and register to be a part of the team.

But you can also scope out the competition, as well as other Gaelic sports, with the USGAA’s interactive map.

QUESTION

What was the worst thing you ever bought? Why was it so bad?

Congratulations to Sarah M. for winning a $50 gift card to our online shop, Six & Main. Did you know you could be our next winner? Answer this week’s survey questions for a chance to score a gift card!

LET US KNOW HERE

EVENTS

Click here to have your event featured.

Monday, March 13

STG Dance For PD® at PNB Winter 2023 Session | Monday, Mar. 13 | 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Francia Russell Center, 1611 136th Place NE, Bellevue | Free | This class uses dance to help those with Parkinson’s work on their balance, flexibility, and coordination.

Tuesday, March 14

Sip and Savor: Spanish Wine Tasting | Tuesday, Mar. 14 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | Village Wines, 14450 Redmond - Woodinville Rd. NE, Woodinville | $35-$40 | Still new to learning about wine? This class aims to meet you at your own level.

Wednesday, March 15

Intro to Vinyasa Yoga: Class One | Wednesday, Mar. 15 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Northwest African American Museum, 2300 Massachusetts St., Seattle | Free | This beginner class will help get you more comfortable with the form — it’s followed by a Q+A with the instructor.

Thursday, March 16

Sip and Paint: Sunset Sailing | Thursday, Mar. 16 | 6 p.m. | Locust Cider First Hill, 500 Terry Ave., Seattle | $40-$45 | Relax with a pint of cider and an easy, step-by-step painting class.
The Gothard Sisters | Thursday, Mar. 16 | 7-9 p.m. | Lynwood Theatre, 4569 Lynwood Center Rd. NE, Bainbridge Island | $40 | This well-known Celtic music band with more than 12 million Spotify streams is based here in the PNW.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

NEWS NOTES

Weather

49º | Rainy | 93% chance of rain

Sunrise + Sunset

Rise: 7:26 p.m.
Set: 7:11 p.m. (Did you remember to turn your clocks forward? Daylight Saving Time began last night at 2 a.m.)

Community

Ballard Commons Park is back open. After closing more than a year ago in December 2021, the park now has new lighting, benches, and upgraded public restrooms. A new playground is also set to be built in June of this year. 🌳(Seattle Times)

Biz

Massachusetts-based biotech company Moderna — yeah, the one with the shots — has plans to open a new Seattle office in April and hire 220 people. Much of the office’s focus will go towards exploring artificial intelligence uses in the biomedical field. 🩺 (GeekWire)

Sports

Lace up your dancing shoes. The Cougars are heading to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. Washington State University is a No. 5 seed and will open up the tournament against No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast on Friday, March 17 at a time TBD in Villanova, PA. Let’s go Cougs. 🏀 (KXLY)

Civic

Awkward... a new palm tree that was recently planted on Alki Beach is causing quite the ruckus. A new Seattle Parks and Rec gardener thought the location belonged to the department, but it’s actually property of the Seattle Department of Transportation. SDOT said the tree can stay once retroactive permitting is done. 🌴(Seattle Times)

Award

Four UW researchers were recently named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science — a lifetime achievement for those in scientific fields. Linguistics professor Emily Bender, professor of pharmacy Sean Sullivan, ornithologist John Marzluff, and chemist Deborah Illman were among those who received the honor. (The Daily)

Health

Starting in May, the Washington State Department of Health will be ending the program that sent free, at-home COVID-19 test kits to residents. Beginning today, the department will prioritize sending the remaining supply to zip codes that are “most in need” of the service. (Seattle Times)

Environment

Uh, should we be worried? Cordyceps — a fungus popularized by HBO’s “The Last of Us” — can be found in Washington. But Seattle-based mycologist Daniel Winkler points out that, unlike the zombie apocalyptic portrayal on TV, it does not infect humans and is much more interested in deer truffles. 🍄 (Seattle Times)

Today Is

National Napping Day. Yup, the best day ever. Shop our favorite sleepytime picks for a cool and comfy snooze like this kooky but effective eye mask and this cutting edge mattress topper with a water cooling system. 💤*

DYK

Fun local fact: Seattle es el hogar del puente flotante más largo del mundo. Find the translation of this fun fact in The Wrap at the bottom of our newsletter.*

Seasonal

To welcome the new season, our online store (Six & Main) is running a Spring Forward Contest. The winner + two friends will receive a prize from one of our coffee or tea brand partners. The contest is running now through Friday, March 24. Learn more on Instagram. 🌸

Edu

Morningside Academy offers students the opportunity to get caught up — and thrive. Help your child make academic gains, build learning skills, and see their self-confidence grow. Students can enroll for the full year in the Foundations program, spend their middle school years at Morningside, or get extra support with a Summer School program (two-four week options available). Learn more + apply.*

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

CIVIC

Cherry-ishing natural beauty 🌸

New signs were placed on the cherry trees to thank those who advocated for an alternative to their removal. | Photo by SEAtoday Staff

You know what they say — team work makes the dream work.

After local organizations convinced the Office of Waterfront and Civic Projects to pause their plan to remove and replace a set of cherry trees along Pike Street, Mayor Bruce Harrell issued a new executive order that will instead plant new cherry trees in the area.

Eight of the new trees will be planted along Pike Street between First and Second Avenues (where the original set was). Homes for the additional 16 trees will be decided later.

In addition, a memorial plaque will be installed to acknowledge the cultural significance of the trees to those of Japanese heritage and recognize those harmed by the US’s internment camps during WWII.

The city plans to remove the eight aging cherry blossom trees in the coming week.

THE WRAP

DYK, translated: Seattle is home to the longest floating bridge in the world. Brush up on your Spanish skills with a subscription to Babbel (currently 60% off exclusively for SEAtoday readers now through Sunday, March 19).*

Today’s issue was written by Alina.

Editor’s pick: I don’t know about hurling, but I’m definitely into the idea of joining the Seattle Gaels Rock Paper Scissors tournament.

I’m one of those that tries to read someone’s energy in order to predict which way they’re going to go. Here’s my tip — really tough-presenting dudes always go rock first. 🪨

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? I hope you remembered to change your clocks.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Alina Hunter-Grah, Gabe Guarente, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Julie Brown | Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

ADVERTISE | SHOP | CAREERS | ETHICS

Did a friend forward this free newsletter to you?

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. 6AM City may receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | SHOP