The howling wind and rain of Storm Ashley had a serious effect on the sporting weekend. It’s a serious test of skill in those conditions, and one Derry man has caught the eye.

Dungiven hurler Richie Mullen was playing in the Derry intermediate hurling final at Owenbeg for Kevin Lynch’s and found himself racing for a ball on the ground but with no hurl to pick it up.

Over the years in hurling, we have seen players try to hold the ball between both feet and do a bunny hop to flick the sliotar into the air where they can cateh it. Mullen came up with something altogether brilliant and it’s a skill he must have been working on for years.

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With two defenders closing in, Mullen rolled the sliotar backwards slightly with his right foot to gain momentum for his left foot to slide under and chip the ball up into his hand. He was then able to break away from danger and lay the ball off to a teammate who hit a point.

The piece of skill at high speed has to be seen to be believed and it is only possible when the clip is slowed down significantly so it can be fully appreciated.

The clip was shared on X/Twitter and has already been viewed almost 150,000 times there in less than 24 hours.

Former Oak Leaf county hurler Mullen has come in for a lot of praise thanks to the video emerging.

“That’s class,” replied former Tyrone football star Owen Mulligan.

“A stunning piece of skill,” said the Global Gaelic Games account on X.

The iGaelicCoach account stated simply: “Possibly one of the best pieces of skill I’ve seen.”

Unfortunately Mullen still ended up on the losing side in the Derry IHC final, with Swatragh winning by 2-10 to 0-11.

Nevertheless, it’s a moment of magic that will be remembered for some time to come.

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