Bol Chumann na hEireann (Irish for “Ireland Bowling Society”) oversees a popular sport across the Atlantic in
Éire. Similarly to bocce,
Irish Road Bowling involves a hard ball, in this case a cannonball about the size of a tennis ball which they call a
bowl or
bullet, and a target somewhere down the way. Road bowlers from
County Armagh in the North and
County Cork in the South specialize in sprinting to the
butt (throwing line) and throwing underhand down Ireland’s country roads at distances of up to 3 football fields in length, over a course that can span 2 miles. In this game, the fewest throws to the finish line wins, and each bowler has a
shower (caddie of sorts) to shorten the aim and point out the best approach to each shot. Spectators line the streets in the hundreds as the gallery for competitions.
The
350-year-old sport was first played by Irish soldiers who used spare cannonballs to compete and often bet with one another. Here in the states the sport is kept alive by the
State Line Irish Road Bowling (SLIRB for short) and locally by the
WV Irish Road Bowling Association, among other organizations. Its popularity grows along with bocce to the extent that
The Washington Post covered it a few years back. SLIRB hosts the
North American Region Finals this weekend in their home area of upstate New York, with a one-on-one tournament to determine who from the US will advance to “
All Irelands” in Clashmore, County Waterford, Ireland, in September. As a cousin of bocce, we hope the sport continues to grow and we at DC Bocce congratulate all the participates and organizers on their play and their dedication. Ádh mór!
Bol Chumann na hEireann (Irish for “Ireland Bowling Society”) oversees a popular sport across the Atlantic in Éire. Similarly to bocce, Irish Road Bowling involves a hard ball, in this case a cannonball about the size of a tennis ball which they call a bowl or bullet, and a target somewhere down the way. Road bowlers from County Armagh in the North and County Cork in the South specialize in sprinting to the butt (throwing line) and throwing underhand down Ireland’s country roads at distances of up to 3 football fields in length, over a course that can span 2 miles. In this game, the fewest throws to the finish line wins, and each bowler has a shower (caddie of sorts) to shorten the aim and point out the best approach to each shot. Spectators line the streets in the hundreds as the gallery for competitions.
The 350-year-old sport was first played by Irish soldiers who used spare cannonballs to compete and often bet with one another. Here in the states the sport is kept alive by the State Line Irish Road Bowling (SLIRB for short) and locally by the WV Irish Road Bowling Association, among other organizations. Its popularity grows along with bocce to the extent that The Washington Post covered it a few years back. SLIRB hosts the North American Region Finals this weekend in their home area of upstate New York, with a one-on-one tournament to determine who from the US will advance to “All Irelands” in Clashmore, County Waterford, Ireland, in September. As a cousin of bocce, we hope the sport continues to grow and we at DC Bocce congratulate all the participates and organizers on their play and their dedication. Ádh mór!
nice post
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ReplyDeleteIreland is a really weird country, but in thew good way. Irish people is really creative, they are always looking for new games and different ways to enjoy their lives. This game looks a quite dangerous, but I have to accept it seems funny at the same time.
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