GAA stars represent Armagh at road bowls festival

"Bulletmen and women" from across Europe are set to compete at a major road bowling championship in County Cork this weekend.

The 40th anniversary of the King and Queen of the Roads festival in Ballincurrig will welcome some of the best players from Ireland, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands.

Among them are Armagh GAA stars Ethan Rafferty and Kelly Mallon.

According to Ethan, road bowling is "something that gets dropped down through the generations".

Ethan Rafferty is one of Ireland's best known Gaelic footballers.

The rampaging Armagh goalkeeper is as well-known for his own scoring ability as he is for preventing the opposition from getting on the scoreboard.

He's also the current All-Ireland men's senior road bowls champion.

According to Ethan, most courses are around two to two-and-a-half miles long and take good players between 18 and 22 shots to complete.

"I learned at my grandparent's house. We'd have spent a lot of our summers there.

"So between picking strawberries and gathering spuds we'd have been practicing the bullets on the roads.

"My granda always taught us how to hold the bullet with your thumb at the top. So you can direct it left or right."

Road bowling is a sport steeped in tradition. It is believed to date from the 17th century.

In the sport, competitors complete a course by throwing a 737 grams (26oz) metal ball – or bullet - along a country road.

The winner is the competitor who gets from A to B in the fewest throws.

In Ireland, the sport is mainly based in counties Armagh and Cork.

Another standout Armagh footballer who has written her name into road bowls history is Kelly Mallon.

As well as representing her county for over 15 years on the pitch, she's won just about all there is to win in road bowls.

"It's taken me to Italy, Germany and the Netherlands – as well as Cork," she said.

"It is very different from the football because the crowd is right beside you, in front of you and right behind you as you move down the road.

"I really like that, it really adds to the sport because everything is right there, it adds to the atmosphere."

Mallon believes there are between 300 to 500 competitors in Armagh and up to 2,000 in Cork.

A new initiative from Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Council is hoping to give more people an opportunity to try out the sport.

Mallon's father Chris has been involved with Madden Road Bowls club in County Armagh for years.

Now, as well as explaining the history of the sport to tourists, he will be taking them onto the roads for a first-hand experience.

"The plan is that we take them to the Tomás Ó Fiaich Library where there is all the memorabilia connected to road bowling so I give them an insight into its history," he said.

"Then we take them out and let them have a go with a top class road bowler who will teach them how to throw and give them a bit of competition.