Irish road bowling

Irish road bowling
Dutch competitor Silke Tulk bowling in Northern Ireland
Characteristics
Equipmentcannonball of c.18 centimetres (7 in) circumference and 28 ounces (794 g) weight
Venuea road
Presence
Country or regionIreland
Olympicno
World Championshipsno
Paralympicno

Road bowling (Irish: Ból an bhóthair; also called [long] bullets)[1][2] is an Irish sport in which competitors attempt to take the fewest throws to propel a metal ball along a predetermined course of country roads.[3] The sport originated in Ireland and is mainly played in counties Armagh and Cork. Road bowling in Ireland is governed by the voluntary Irish Road Bowling Association (Irish: Ból Chumann na hÉireann).[4]

A similar sport, Klootschieten, is played in eastern parts of the Netherlands and in northern Germany.[5]

  1. ^ Lane, Fintan (2005). Long Bullets: A History of Road Bowling in Ireland. Cork: Galley Head Press. ISBN 095421594X.
  2. ^ Toal, Brian (2010). "Ból-Chumann na hÉireann". Seanchas Ardmhacha: Journal of the Armagh Diocesan Historical Society. 23 (1): 294–307. JSTOR 41698528.
  3. ^ "General Introduction". Road Bowling. Ask About Ireland. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  4. ^ "Ból Chumann na hÉireann Code of Governance". irishroadbowling.ie. Irish Road Bowling Association. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Festival Fit: Airborne eggs in Leitrim and flying 'bowels' in Cork". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 18 October 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2023.