Never mind the rain forests, save the ash trees. That's the campaign being initiated by the recently-formed Irish Guild of Ash Hurley Makers over the GAA's decision to support the development of the new plastic hurley. The guild is concerned about the threat to the livelihood of every traditional hurley maker in the country and to the great tradition of hurling itself when the plastic stick is launched on the market in the new year, aimed in the first instance at young players.

Martin Noonan of Noonan Hurleys in Knockraha, Co Cork, says the guild fear the new stick will mean a switch from sustainable,

biodegradable materials and products to pollution-making plastic factories, damage the national ash-planting programme and increase the risk of injury from the non-breaking impact of the plastic stick. The guild was founded last week at Hayes' Hotel in Thurles (where else?) and is arranging a meeting with the GAA to discuss a move it believes will ruin a small, traditional Irish manufacturing industry.