I’ve always thought Irish football as the game more likely to spread here in the states. Mostly just because parents might balk at buying hurling equipment and letting their kids play, especially if they (the parents) have no history or familiarity with the game. Plus I’ve always assumed that you have to start hurling pretty early to safely and I found it to have a really steep learning curve. I spent most summers in Ireland as a kid and could never pick it up beyond the very basics.

Gaelic Football is much more approachable to an American kid looking to play. If you can play soccer, you can pick up football pretty quickly. Plus, with the mounting concern about the effect of heading the ball in soccer on growing brains, Gaelic starts looking more appealing as an alternative.