Brendan Fullam has done it again! From far away New Ross, he has observed the hurling scene for donkey's years and has, in his own, typically quiet way made a huge contribution to the sport.

Now he has produced, with the help of Wolfhound Press, a handy little guide to hurling which will fit snugly into your jacket pocket, solve queries in licensed hostelries late at night or help a newcomer to the gain an insight into hurling history and its very soul. Fullam is no newcomer to this type of pursuit. Having written Giants of the Ash, Hurling Giants and Legends of the Ash, there is scarcely anyone more qualified than he to sum up in precise form the nature of the great and glorious game.

We have, of course, all heard of Cuchullain (aka Setanta) and his exploits but, although we accept this as myth, Brendan Fullam has fleshed it out in a way which will appeal to anyone who would like to know more about hurling and its history without having to make a great effort.

Some years ago, An Brathair O Cathnia produced a huge study on hurling which will always remain as the definitive work on the game. Fullam's little tome is a charming and more accessible book.

Hurling existed, we are told by Fullam, as far back as 1272 BC when its strength, speed, stamina, skill and dexterity and endurance were noted. We are told the Firbolgs beat the Tuatha de Danann in a match that year but one fancies that such a match is fantasy.

More reliable evidence of hurling is widely available. A 15th century engraving on a tombstone shows a hurley and sliotar. For those who so virulently decried the "foreign games" ban which was abolished in 1971 it might be interesting to note that the first "ban" was imposed on hurling by the Statutes of Kilkenny (of all places) in 1366. Good riddance to both bans! Fullam recalls that in later days the game was widely played and sponsored by the landed gentry in the 18th century. He quotes the publication, Dublin Flying Post, of 1708 thus: "On St Stephen's Day, about three in the afternoon, will be a hurling match over the Curragh between 30 men from each side of the Liffey, for 30 shillings. A barrel of ale, tobacco and pipes will be given to the hurlers."

In September of 1769, the Cork Evening Post reported that: "A bet of 300 guineas (inflation must have been rampant at the time), a cold dinner and a Ball at night for the Ladies will be hurled for on Friday 9th inst., by 21 married men and 21 bachelors on the green of Ardfinnan in the county of Tipperary. NB: None admitted to play but the Gentlemen of the baronies of Iffa and Offa in the said county."

In something of an about face from the Statutes of Kilkenny days, the then Lord Lieutenant in the 18th century was a regular attender at hurling matches and described the game as "the most exciting in Europe."

Later, after the rebellion of 1798, the "gentry" withdrew their support of the game but the natives continued to play it but it wasn't until Michael Cusack, glory to his name, came along that it adapted to modern conditions and that modern rules came into vogue.

The foundation of the Gaelic Athletic Association inspired by Clareman Cusack, in 1884, ensured its survival and the game now seems in healthier state than ever before. Fullam's handbook or guide is crammed with gems of poems, descriptions of matches and historical data but he doesn't neglect the fact that many of his readers will not be familiar with the game and he includes easy-to-read insights to the rules and the ethos of the game from its roots down to the present day.

He also includes the official rules of the game for those bores who seem to believe that there is something sacred about rules.

Not surprisingly he quotes liberally from writers about the game from Canon Shehan's description of a match in his novel Knocknagow, where he chronicles the exploits of Matt The Thresher, to P D Mehigan (Carbery), to Paddy Downey and Con Houlihan as well as quotations from Lecky's History of Ireland.

This is a little booklet to be treasured and handed down from generation to generation and dipped into from time to time when the television set gets boring or when a little tingle of excitement is required. As my former colleague Donal Foley used to say: "Summer hurling shortens the winter" meaning that, when the winter came, discussions about what had happened in the summer kept people going later in the year.

The Wolfhound Guide to Hurling (Brendan Fullam) Wolfhound Press. £4.99.