West Virginia Irish Road Bowling

Latest Report from Ireland 07 13 2025

Ethan Rafferty capped a fabulous weekend for Ulster in series 1 of the All-Ireland Championships in Castletownkennigh at the weekend.

He beat Arthur McDonagh in a thrilling senior final to land 4 in a row for Armagh at this grade.

He was unplayable at times today with some stunning shots.
His break has gone done in local history as the biggest seen on this course, it came out of him like a rocket and McDonagh just beat it in 2. The rain started and Ethan didn't really take advantage but with poor conditions we will give him a break. His bowl through the round tower x was stunning again and almost raised the bowl but McDonagh kept him honest with a jet of his own.

To be fair to Arthur he kept plugging away up to the corner and when he got a favourable touch of the wall, Ethan was just throwing his lead and maybe under pressure for the first time in the score. But as all great sportsmen do he stood tall and hit a jet to open the next corner which McDonagh just beat.

Ethan raised the bowl with his next and when Arthur missed the no play line the writing was on the wall. Arthur choose to loft to keep it under the 2 bowls and reduced the deficit up the home straight but Ethan wasn't gonna miss his chance to gain a senior crown at his first attempt and finished like a champion.

A simply brilliant display of fast accurate bowling.

Gemma McCann won the ladies Intermediate championship from Juliet Murphy to the delight of the large Madden crowd. Gemma was brilliant over the first part of the course to take a commanding lead in the battle of the GAA stars . Juliet was a bit erratic over the early stages but settled down well but Gemma kept her at bay for the most part. Juliet put in a storming finish with 2 massive bowl into the netting and when Gemma missed the line we were in for a tight finish.

Juliet never got her last away and caught left and sportingly shook hands. Another Madden champion to add to a long list of All-Ireland winners, a remarkable achievement for this club.

Keigan Fullerton was disappointed at the end of his score after losing to the dynamic young Tommy Coppinger (12 and under). Keigan to be honest didn't do much wrong and played some great bowls but his young opponent was missing nothing and carries incredible speed for one so young.

Keigan will, I have no doubt come back stronger from this as he knows now what it takes to be a champion.

Madden had another All-Ireland champion on Saturday when the amazing talent that is Megan O'Reilly took to the road against Munster’s Orla Murphy in the under 16 decider.

Cool as a cucumber, Megan gave an exhibition of fast accurate bowling blowing the sop off the road on every shot. She gave her hapless opponent no chance to make any inroads and won by close to 4 bowls in a stunning display. Back to back under 16s All-Irelands she is writing a very impressive CV.

Caolan Carr made it a under 16 double for Ulster when he had a comfortable victory over Culann Bourke on Saturday morning. Caolan has improved so much from winning a under 12 Ulster on the Rock road. Denied the opportunity of an All-Ireland title that year because of covid but took his chance this time with a fantastic display. The Carr family have a great tradition in the sport and Caolan is next in line and certainly stood up to the mark on this occasion. His victory by 2 shots was based on his extra speed and his consistency.

Madden men Barry O'Reilly and Mickey Rafferty missed out at the weekend in the Veterans and Junior B grades. Probably didn't do a whole lot wrong either but they lost out to better opponents on the day. Mickey lost out to the speedy PJ Cooney while Barry was second best against rising star Brian O'Driscoll.

All in all a fantastic weekend's bowling and we come away with 4 wins to lead the series 4-3. Onroads now to the second series in Keady-Tassagh at the start of August.

All Ireland Senior (highest level) Finals

Road bowling: Big guns Rafferty and McDonagh contest All-Ireland senior final Meanwhile, Brian O’Driscoll is like the Cork hurlers, managing the hype is a big challenge. He will have legions of supporters when he takes on Barry O’Reilly in the men’s junior B final on Saturday.

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The surprising revival of road bowling, Ireland's ancient sport
Updated / Wednesday, 9 Jul 2025 07:10

Noted bowls player Murphy Bawn starts off his game with Conney Lucey outside Blarney, Co Cork in 1936. Photo: Fox Photos/Getty Images
Noted bowls player Murphy Bawn starts off his game with Conney Lucey outside Blarney, Co Cork in 1936. Photo: Fox Photos/Getty Images
Analysis: From Cork and Armagh to TikTok and Instagram, young and old road bowlers are taking up the bowl and keeping this unique tradition alive

By Conor Heffernan, Ulster University

On a quiet country road in Co Cork, traffic comes to a halt as a small iron ball hurtles around a bend, chased by a cheering crowd on foot. For those unaccustomed to the scene, it looks like 'an unusual and even archaic sport, a throwback to the days when roads were not monopolized by fast moving traffic.’ Yet across Ireland and beyond, the ancient game of road bowling is experiencing an unlikely resurgence, with young and old taking up the bowl and keeping this unique tradition alive.

From outlawed pastime to living heritage
Road bowling (Irish Ból an bhóthair, also called ‘long bullets’) dates back centuries and was once played widely across Ireland. The premise is beguilingly simple. Competitors take turns hurling a solid iron ‘bowl’ along a country road, and whoever reaches the finish line in the fewest throws wins. Matches unfolded on public roads, drawing big crowds and bigger wagers.

Over time, as historian Fintan Lane’s research shows, road bowling’s heartlands narrowed mainly to Cork in the south and Armagh in the north, where the sport never died out. In these strongholds, legendary bowlers like Mick Barry of Cork became folk heroes. Barry famously lofted a bowl clear over a high viaduct outside Cork city in the 1950s, a feat still recounted with awe.

From RTÉ Archives, profile of Leeside legendary bowler Mick Barry for a 1986 episode of More Plain Tales

The sport's freewheeling street gatherings (and associated gambling) led to periodic bans in the past, but locals often kept the game going during quiet times of day. By the late 20th century, road bowling had faded in many areas and was at risk of being seen as a relic of another era.

Rolling into a new century
Instead, road bowling has quietly rolled into the 21st century with new momentum. Much of this revival can be credited to passionate local communities and the power of social media. What was once passed down through families and neighbours is now also shared via Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.

One popular page run by enthusiasts, Road Bowls In Ireland, has amassed over 17,000 followers and regularly streaming matches from Cork and Armagh to viewers around the world. Short clips of spectacular throws like a bowl skittering around a bend or a perfectly 'ironed’ shot down a straight rack up views and introduce this old Irish pastime to new audiences far beyond the village roadside.

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The revival isn't confined to Ireland either. Irish emigrants and the curious have established road bowling clubs in the United States, with West Virginia emerging as an unlikely hub. Dozens of road bowling events are now held in West Virginia every year, drawing hundreds of participants and onlookers. What began as a quirky attraction at an Irish heritage festival has evolved into regular tournaments where locals (Irish-American or not) try their hand at lobbing the iron bowl.

At home, a once renegade pastime has gained a measure of official acceptance. Ból Chumann na hÉireann, the Irish Road Bowling Association, works with local authorities to schedule events, and a blind eye is often turned to the temporary traffic disruptions. Of course, not every motorist is delighted as complaints about bowlers blocking rural roads still surface online, but many in Cork or Armagh see road bowling as part of the cultural fabric of their area. 'It's a sport… it’s been there for years and years… it’s simply a culture thing,’ as one bowler told Killian O’Leary, Maurice Patterson and Lisa O’Malley in their road bowls study.

The TikTok effect
The resurgence of road bowling is part of a broader reawakening of Irish heritage in modern life. From folk sports to music and crafts, the past is becoming present again. This is often with help from online platforms. The road bowls research, which included an ethnographic study of road bowling, noted that the game’s survival has hinged on its ability to adapt to both historic and contemporary social forces. In other words, road bowling endures because it still offers something people crave today; community, identity, and a tangible link to the past. This is the case even as players might share their latest winning shot on Instagram or TikTok.

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Social media has helped niche cultural activities in Ireland like road bowling or traditional stone-lifting find new audiences and participants. A 2025 study documented an 'unprecedented revival' in the old Irish practice of lifting massive stones to prove one’s strength, largely thanks to online communities and organized events. As this research showed, the internet can rejuvenate interest in traditions that were nearly lost a few generations ago.

Crucially, the internet hasn’t replaced the living experience of these traditions, it has amplified it. Road bowling still happens on real roads, not virtual ones, but now a teenager in Dublin might discover it on TikTok and decide to head down to a local match in person. As musician Rónán Ó Snodaigh of Kíla observed about Ireland’s cultural renaissance, ‘these things happen in cycles… it’s no surprise that there’s a resurgence.’

From RTÉ Radio 1's Ray D'Arcy Show, Sinéad Ní Uallacháin reports on road bowling in Co Tyrone

After decades when many viewed speaking Irish, singing old songs or reciting traditional poetry as old-fashioned, young people are reclaiming those roots with pride. The same pattern is evident in folk sports and crafts. Take basket weaving, for example. By the 1980s, traditional basket makers were few and far between, but today there’s renewed demand for classes and handmade wickerwork, reviving a tradition once at risk of disappearing.

In a globalised world, the revival of road bowling and its ilk speaks to a hunger for genuine connection and local identity. Watching a bowl sail down a country lane with a crowd of neighbours chasing after it, one can feel the thrill of past traditions and the continuity of an unbroken thread. As long as people line the road to watch, shout, and play, Ireland’s road bowls will keep on rolling.

This article from Ulster in Ireland highlights West Virginia Irish Road Bowling and our many events.

Upcoming

- July 12, Cacapon Resort State Park, Berkeley Springs, WV

- July 19, Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, Cass, WV.

Free and open to the public

The surprising revival of road bowling, Ireland's ancient sport
Updated / Wednesday, 9 Jul 2025 07:10

Noted bowls player Murphy Bawn starts off his game with Conney Lucey outside Blarney, Co Cork in 1936. Photo: Fox Photos/Getty Images
Noted bowls player Murphy Bawn starts off his game with Conney Lucey outside Blarney, Co Cork in 1936. Photo: Fox Photos/Getty Images
Analysis: From Cork and Armagh to TikTok and Instagram, young and old road bowlers are taking up the bowl and keeping this unique tradition alive

By Conor Heffernan, Ulster University

On a quiet country road in Co Cork, traffic comes to a halt as a small iron ball hurtles around a bend, chased by a cheering crowd on foot. For those unaccustomed to the scene, it looks like 'an unusual and even archaic sport, a throwback to the days when roads were not monopolized by fast moving traffic.’ Yet across Ireland and beyond, the ancient game of road bowling is experiencing an unlikely resurgence, with young and old taking up the bowl and keeping this unique tradition alive.

From outlawed pastime to living heritage
Road bowling (Irish Ból an bhóthair, also called ‘long bullets’) dates back centuries and was once played widely across Ireland. The premise is beguilingly simple. Competitors take turns hurling a solid iron ‘bowl’ along a country road, and whoever reaches the finish line in the fewest throws wins. Matches unfolded on public roads, drawing big crowds and bigger wagers.

Over time, as historian Fintan Lane’s research shows, road bowling’s heartlands narrowed mainly to Cork in the south and Armagh in the north, where the sport never died out. In these strongholds, legendary bowlers like Mick Barry of Cork became folk heroes. Barry famously lofted a bowl clear over a high viaduct outside Cork city in the 1950s, a feat still recounted with awe.

From RTÉ Archives, profile of Leeside legendary bowler Mick Barry for a 1986 episode of More Plain Tales

The sport's freewheeling street gatherings (and associated gambling) led to periodic bans in the past, but locals often kept the game going during quiet times of day. By the late 20th century, road bowling had faded in many areas and was at risk of being seen as a relic of another era.

Rolling into a new century
Instead, road bowling has quietly rolled into the 21st century with new momentum. Much of this revival can be credited to passionate local communities and the power of social media. What was once passed down through families and neighbours is now also shared via Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.

One popular page run by enthusiasts, Road Bowls In Ireland, has amassed over 17,000 followers and regularly streaming matches from Cork and Armagh to viewers around the world. Short clips of spectacular throws like a bowl skittering around a bend or a perfectly 'ironed’ shot down a straight rack up views and introduce this old Irish pastime to new audiences far beyond the village roadside.

The revival isn't confined to Ireland either. Irish emigrants and the curious have established road bowling clubs in the United States, with West Virginia emerging as an unlikely hub. Dozens of road bowling events are now held in West Virginia every year, drawing hundreds of participants and onlookers. What began as a quirky attraction at an Irish heritage festival has evolved into regular tournaments where locals (Irish-American or not) try their hand at lobbing the iron bowl.

At home, a once renegade pastime has gained a measure of official acceptance. Ból Chumann na hÉireann, the Irish Road Bowling Association, works with local authorities to schedule events, and a blind eye is often turned to the temporary traffic disruptions. Of course, not every motorist is delighted as complaints about bowlers blocking rural roads still surface online, but many in Cork or Armagh see road bowling as part of the cultural fabric of their area. 'It's a sport… it’s been there for years and years… it’s simply a culture thing,’ as one bowler told Killian O’Leary, Maurice Patterson and Lisa O’Malley in their road bowls study.

The TikTok effect
The resurgence of road bowling is part of a broader reawakening of Irish heritage in modern life. From folk sports to music and crafts, the past is becoming present again. This is often with help from online platforms. The road bowls research, which included an ethnographic study of road bowling, noted that the game’s survival has hinged on its ability to adapt to both historic and contemporary social forces. In other words, road bowling endures because it still offers something people crave today; community, identity, and a tangible link to the past. This is the case even as players might share their latest winning shot on Instagram or TikTok.

We need your consent to load this TikTok content
TikTok logo
This Content is loaded from TikTok. We need your permission before loading as it may use Cookies and similar technologies that RTÉ does not control.

For more information visit TikTok’s Privacy Policy

Allow this TimeAllow Always

Social media has helped niche cultural activities in Ireland like road bowling or traditional stone-lifting find new audiences and participants. A 2025 study documented an 'unprecedented revival' in the old Irish practice of lifting massive stones to prove one’s strength, largely thanks to online communities and organized events. As this research showed, the internet can rejuvenate interest in traditions that were nearly lost a few generations ago.

Crucially, the internet hasn’t replaced the living experience of these traditions, it has amplified it. Road bowling still happens on real roads, not virtual ones, but now a teenager in Dublin might discover it on TikTok and decide to head down to a local match in person. As musician Rónán Ó Snodaigh of Kíla observed about Ireland’s cultural renaissance, ‘these things happen in cycles… it’s no surprise that there’s a resurgence.’

From RTÉ Radio 1's Ray D'Arcy Show, Sinéad Ní Uallacháin reports on road bowling in Co Tyrone

After decades when many viewed speaking Irish, singing old songs or reciting traditional poetry as old-fashioned, young people are reclaiming those roots with pride. The same pattern is evident in folk sports and crafts. Take basket weaving, for example. By the 1980s, traditional basket makers were few and far between, but today there’s renewed demand for classes and handmade wickerwork, reviving a tradition once at risk of disappearing.

In a globalised world, the revival of road bowling and its ilk speaks to a hunger for genuine connection and local identity. Watching a bowl sail down a country lane with a crowd of neighbours chasing after it, one can feel the thrill of past traditions and the continuity of an unbroken thread. As long as people line the road to watch, shout, and play, Ireland’s road bowls will keep on rolling.

Southern Star Report 20 July 2024 from Ireland