Irish road bowling
Road bowling (; also called [long] bullets) 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. The sport originated in Ireland and is mainly played in counties Armagh and Cork. Spectators often bet on the outcome and proffer advice to their favoured competitor in the course of a match or "score". Road bowling in Ireland is governed by the voluntary Irish Road Bowling Association (). The 2016 All-Ireland Series took place in Madden, County Armagh. Rules and playing style. The "bullet" or  bowl () is a solid iron cannonball of c. circumference and weight. There are two or more players or teams in a match or "score". The one with the fewest shots to the finish line wins. If two players or teams approach the finish line with equal shots, the winner is decided by which throw goes farther past the finish line. A "road shower" advises the thrower about the throw (or shot) much like a golf caddy, while another helper stands ahead of the thrower, feet apart, to show the best line or path in the road. The thrower runs to  the throwing mark and, in the Northern or County Armagh style, extends the arm and bowl behind him as he runs. At the throwing mark the arm is snapped forward by arching the back and shoulders, releasing the bowl underhand before stepping over the mark. In the Southern or County Cork style, as the thrower runs to the mark the arm and bowl are lifted up and back, then whirled downward into an underhand throw, releasing the bowl before stepping over the mark. Wherever the bowl stops (not where it leaves the road surface), a chalk mark is made at  the nearest point on the road and the next throw is taken from behind that mark. In Armagh, the mark is usually made by pulling a tuft of grass and dropping it on the road. Over tight curves, or corners where two roads meet, the bowl may be thrown through the air (lofted). The loft must strike the road or pass over it. If the loft fails to reach the road, it counts as one shot, and the next throw must be taken again from the same mark. History. Fintan Lane, in his book "Long Bullets: A History of Road  Bowling in Ireland", traces the sport to the 17th century and suggests that it was once far more widespread than it is today. Until the 19th century, the game was also played in Scotland, the north of England and in North America. In the past, players were given twenty shots (a score) each, the winner determined by who went the greatest distance. Though the modern game is a fixed distance in fewest shots, the expression "score" for a match survives. Disputes between competitors or spectators often created public disturbance and court cases resulted as recently as the 1950s. Bol-Chumann  na hÉireann was formed in 1954 to replace the less organised All-Ireland Bowl Players Association. There were irregular contests between Cork and Armagh champions over the decades, but the first national championship between them was in 1963. The first World Championship was as part of Cork 800 in 1985. Geography. The Irish form of road bowling is concentrated in counties Cork and Armagh (especially south Armagh). It is also played in Mayo (Castlebar), Limerick, Waterford, Louth, Monaghan and more recently in Tyrone and Wexford and also in Dagenham, London, UK. Klootschieten is a similar game played in the Netherlands  and northwest Germany (Friesland and Schleswig-Holstein) and international events have been staged between these regions and Ireland. The Irish game also has players in Boston, Massachusetts; Cambridge, New York, and Bennington, Vermont, vicinity; Syracuse, New York; Middletown, Connecticut; Traverse City, Michigan; the Bronx, New York; New Zealand; Asheville, North Carolina; Savannah, Georgia and is growing in the fairs and festivals of the state of West Virginia. The largest Irish road bowling event in the world is held annually in September in Wheeling, West Virginia, with 737 bowlers participating in 2016. The event is hosted by the state's sole  division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. The first contest in Colborne, Canada was held on May 26, 2007. An annual tournament during the weekend of or prior to Saint Patrick's Day takes place in Portland, Oregon. In popular culture. The song "Out the Road" by Gaelic Storm is about a road bowling score. Additionally, footage of a road bowling score is included in a YouTube video shot by band founders Pat Murphy and Steve Twigger about their trip to Murphy's native County Cork during the production of their album "Chicken Boxer" (which includes "Out the Road"). Terminology . Game terminology (as used primarily in Ireland) includes: