Traditional Irish strength sports

matressking · 11-10-2012 04:37AM #1

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 · 11-10-2012 08:01AM

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 · 11-10-2012 11:47AM

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

a_non_a_mouse · 11-10-2012 04:47PM

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 · 11-10-2012 07:14PM

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 · 11-10-2012 09:11PM

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

benchppress · 11-10-2012 09:25PM

matressking wrote: »

stone putting but nothing concrete.

i think the concrete cracks too easily

matressking · 11-10-2012 10:46PM

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

Hailhail1967 · 12-10-2012 10:29AM

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 · 12-10-2012 12:40PM

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 · 13-10-2012 07:31AM

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!

Traditional Irish strength sports

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