Gear guide Season 2026/27 · Juvenile and adult

Starting a new GAA season should be exciting, not stressful. Whether your child is going to their first hurling or Gaelic football session, returning to training after a summer away, or moving up an age grade, the kit list is usually the first hurdle. This guide sets out what is genuinely required, what can wait, and how to size the pieces that are easy to get wrong.

01 — What every player needs

Both codes share a core: boots, socks, shorts, a jersey or training top, shin guards, a mouthguard and a water bottle. That is the whole list for a first session. Clubs almost always supply match jerseys and balls, so buy training kit first and leave anything branded until the club confirms its own supplier.

A boil-and-bite guard fitted properly at home is fine for a beginner, and is worth replacing once a player is training twice a week.

02 — Hurling: helmet first

The helmet is the one purchase not to compromise on. It must carry the IHFA and NSAI standard mark, and the faceguard must not be modified in any way. Fit it in person if you possibly can: the helmet should sit level, cover the forehead, and stay put when the player shakes their head. Buy the size that fits now rather than one to grow into.

Hurls are sized by length, measured from the player's wrist to the floor with the arm hanging straight. Ash remains the standard; composite hurls cost more but survive a wet winter and suit players who are hard on equipment. Two hurls is the sensible minimum once matches start — they break, and always on the morning of a game.

Age grade	Hurl length	Also add
Under 8	24–26 in	Helmet, hurling gloves optional
Under 10	26–28 in	Helmet, shin guards
Under 12	28–30 in	Helmet, gloves, spare hurl
Under 14	30–32 in	Helmet, gloves, grip tape
Under 16 and up	32–36 in	Two hurls, gloves, base layers

03 — Gaelic football: boots and grip

Football asks more of the boot than of anything else. Soft-ground boots with six studs handle a typical Irish winter pitch; firm-ground moulded boots are better on dry grass and on the sand-based pitches now common around Dublin. Astro trainers are a third pair, not a substitute — most clubs run at least some winter sessions on all-weather surfaces.

Allow a thumb's width of room at the toe and check the fit in the socks the player will actually wear. A size up "for the year ahead" causes blisters and slows a young player down.

"Fit the helmet, fit the boots, and buy everything else once. The rest of the list is comfort, not compliance."

04 — Winter training

From October onwards, a long-sleeve base layer, a half-zip mid-layer and a rain jacket make the difference between a good session and a cold one. Two pairs of socks and a second pair of shorts in the bag mean a player is never sitting in wet gear afterwards. Hurling gloves keep hands working in the cold as much as they protect them.

05 — First-timers and returners