ORIGINS OF SHINTY
Roger Hutchinson, in his book Camanachd, The Story of Shinty (Mainstream:1989), shows a photograph of an Athenian carving that dates from the fifth century BC. It depicts two groups of athletes equipped with sticks that closey resemble camans vying for the possession of a ball. Could this have the origins of the game shinty?
The picture shown at the right is from a 14th century Irish manuscript and depicts a similar group of players. Could that be an illustration of the game Hutchinson tells us about from the 11th century AD An Leabhar Laigneach (Book of Leinster)) which records the first-ever game of camanachd to be celebrated in print being played in the year 1272 BC. He tells us of many other references that should not doubt that camanachd is an ancient sport to say the least.