Young hurley maker using skills to fund Tanzania charity trip

A young hurler from Westmeath with Kilkenny family connections is combining his passion for the sport and his woodworking skills to support his charitable mission to Tanzania next year.

James Ryan has taken over the garden shed at home in the Ballinderry area of Mullingar for use as a workshop, where he makes and repairs hurls.

James hurls for Crookedwood and he’s been playing since he was six. “The biggest driving factor behind my hurling would probably be my dad, Martin,” he told the Westmeath Examiner.

“He’s from Kilkenny and he would have been the one that got us into it, and kept us hurling, myself and my brother.”

James is raising money to fund a charity trip with Tanzanian Heavenly Homes next summer, and he’s putting what he learned at an event in Kilkenny to good use.

“I do woodwork at school, and I’ve learned through that, and I went down to Star Hurley in Kilkenny in 2023, stayed with them for a week and learned how to make hurls there, before coming back home and starting it myself.

“Making my hurls, I start off on the bandsaw, where I cut out the shape and then plane them down with the hand plane, and I’ll thin them on the bandsaw.

“Most of my work will go through the spokeshaves and planes, before I go on to the sander and nearly finish the hurl off, and then I’d use spokeshaves to get the final balance of the hurl and get the right feel - just get the nice shape around the handle and get the right amount of timber on the hurl.”

James has sent hurls he has made across the country, and has “repaired dozens and dozens as well” - and “I’m using the repairs to fundraise for my trip to Tanzania with John McCauley”.

“I’ve recently started to make my own Ryan sports socks for GAA; I’ve also made wall balls for hurling and I have my own custom branded ones as well.”

Age 16, James is a student in TY at Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar. His business is called Ryan Hurls. He charges €10 for hurl repairs and all of that income is going towards his target of €2,500 for the trip with Tanzanian Heavely Homes, which is June 30 to July 16, 2025.

As a final word, we asked James who he follows in the game: “My favourite hurler in Westmeath at the minute is probably Davey Williams. He’s probably the future of the county at the minute, he’s been unbelievable.

"And then my favourite hurler in the country at the minute is probably Mikey Butler in Kilkenny. You know, for a cornerback of his size, he’s just well able to go out and do a job in the backs, and to tag on a few scores as well.”

Martin's father's home club is St Martin's, Muckalee.

Contact James on Instagram @Ryan_hurls, by email at ryanhurls23@gmail.com or 085 7767114.

He will be selling his products and promoting his service at the Coláiste Mhuire Christmas market on December 16.