Traditional Irish strength sports

matressking

Does anyone have any info about any traditional Irish strength sports similar to say Highland Games?

I'm from Connemara and I've heard bits and pieces about stuff like tug o' war and stone putting but nothing concrete.

deadlybuzzman

At a local festival they have/had a sheaf(bundle of straw) throwing competition. It identical to the keg toss in strongman. I presume it was a traditional thing as when they started doing it all the old fellas knew what it was

matressking

Cheers mate. Any other info welcome. Wish my grandad was still alive!

a_non_a_mouse

check out Irish Thrower Club videos on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/user/nagle010?feature=watch

Not sure if ITC are still active and most of their stuff would be non standard, but the 56lb weight for distance and weight over the bar are contested in Athletics Ireland events and go back a long way in the Irish athletics history

arse..biscuits

deadlybuzzman wrote: »

At a local festival they have/had a sheaf(bundle of straw) throwing competition. It identical to the keg toss in strongman. I presume it was a traditional thing as when they started doing it all the old fellas knew what it was

I was in Glencolmcille learning Irish a few years back and there was a festival on, one of the events was a sheaf throwing competition. I thought i heard "sheep throwing competition" and brushed it off as a joke. Later in a pub someone was looking out the window and said there's the sheaf throwing, I looked and saw a big lad throwing a big white thing over a bar.
I thought "WTF throwing dead sheep around, crazy f*ckers"

d'Oracle

Apparently, we are...... on an international level...... basically the **** at Tug 'O War.

benchppress

matressking wrote: »

stone putting but nothing concrete.

i think the concrete cracks too easily

matressking

Thanks guys, will look into those vids and see if i can find any more info on the sheaf throwing.

Hailhail1967

I once seen fellas throwing wellies full of concrete at a festival but I have no idea if it was taken from something traditional or was just a piss take. some of the fellas doing it looked like they were struggling to lift it off the ground, never mind throw it.

squod

http://www.trimhaymakingfestival.com/

Some of the best sheaf tossing I've seen in all seriousness. Trim haymaking festival in Meath. Make a trip next year and try your hand.


Video from last years Naas highland games

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FhiN1AF6uA

http://www.irishstrongman.com/

Irish strength assoc organise a heap of Highland games, arm wrestling and even the odd tug o'war.

More here

http://irishtugofwar.com/find-a-club/

deadlybuzzman

arse..biscuits wrote: »

I thought "WTF throwing dead sheep around, crazy f*ckers"

Knowing any of the mad fellas I knew up there its a wonder they used a dead one!