'Road bowls, or bullet throwing as it is also called, is a game played mostly in Counties Armagh and Cork'

'Road bowls, or bullet throwing as it is also called, is a game played mostly in Counties Armagh and Cork'

Ita McClelland describes the game of road bowls.

Ita McClelland

Trinity College Dublin

1966

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Ita McClelland

Childhood and Early Life

Life Story

Co. Armagh

1960's

Road bowls or bullet throwing as it is also called is a game played mostly in Counties Armagh and Cork. It is a game where the 'thrower' has to throw a heavy smooth round ball made of lead over the longest distance along a road without it touching the grass verge. It is better played on a road that is winding as opposed to a road that is really straight. The person who throws the longest distance is the winner.As we lived on a road which was frequented by the 'bullet throwers' my mother took the opportunity each year when a big score was on to sell her fayre outside. I remember one occasion when the Armagh men were playing the Cork men and they were all gathered outside our house having a break and a bet on the scores, my bothers and sisters and myself and some friends helped to tidy up afterwards. One of our friends found a '10 note which my mother told him to keep because there had been so many people about there would be no way of telling who owned it. He was over the moon with excitement.There are still a lot of Road Bowl clubs around Armagh with girls playing now also and there is still an annual contest with the Cork throwers.

Irish Research Council for Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS)

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)