Take Part in the Cherished Irish Sport of Road Bowling.

Compete or spectate at Indian Lake’s annual Irish Road Bowling Event.

Rarely at ADK Taste do we promote or recommend a place, activity or event that our team has not already experienced. But every now and then, we come across something so compelling we can't wait to share it with our friends.

Such is the case with the upcoming Irish Road Bowling event in Indian Lake. When it first popped on our fine-tuned ADK radar, we immediately had to Google "Irish Road Bowling" because we had never heard the term before. According to Wikipedia, the font of all knowledge, Irish Road Bowling is a sport where competitors attempt to take the fewest throws to propel a metal ball along a predetermined course of country roads. Spectators often bet on the outcome and proffer advice to their favored competitor in the course of a match or "score." The voluntary Irish Road Bowling Association governs road bowling in Ireland. Bless 'em.

Indian Lake began hosting an annual Road Bowling competition in 2006. Allegedly, it's as much fun for the competitors as it is for the spectators. Competitors roll an official 28 oz iron ball called a "bullet" starting at the "butt" line. Players have to be careful to not "break the butt" by stepping over the line. Other terms to bandy about to look like an expert in Road Bowling include:

  • kitter-paw -- a left-handed thrower

  • loft -- to throw through the air

  • score -- a match

  • shot -- a throw

  • sop -- a tuft of grass placed in the road at a spot where the bowl should first strike the surface. An experienced bowler can "split the sop"

  • stylish bowler -- a bowler with a smooth well-coordinated delivery

Indian Lake's course is a mile long. We have no idea if that's long or short by Irish standards. But we can't wait to find out.

Nearby Attractions

Previous
Previous

Where in the ADK Wednesday: The Wild Center

Next
Next

The Inn in Westport