Photo Provided The Wheeling Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians participates in the ancient sport of Irish road bowling. The group will hold the event in Wheeling this Saturday.

WHEELING — The Wheeling Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians will be celebrating the tradition of Irish road bowling — Bol an bhothair — this Saturday.

Tom Murphy, a member of the AOH, said this event serves as the major annual fundraiser for the organization. Murphy said the event has been held for more than 10 years, and this year promises to be one of the best.

More than 20 years ago, the Hibernians decided they needed an event that could assist in raising funds. With Craig O’Leary in the lead, a group of the Hibernians attended an Irish road bowling event in Kingwood, West Virginia, to determine if road bowling could be organized in a way that would help raise money.

After attending the event, they took that model and fine-tuned it to meet the organization’s goal and create a major fundraiser.

The Wheeling Division of the AOH now uses Irish road bowling as its largest fundraising event of the year. The money raised supports many annual scholarships and local charities, and the event has inadvertently become the AOH’s major membership drive, as new members join each year after taking part and learning about the AOH.

Road bowling in Ireland has been played for centuries. A mainly rural sport, its premise is simple: it is played along a meandering country road with curves and hills and the road, or course, may be as long as 1 or 2 miles, definitely a good stretch of the legs.

The game in Ireland is played mainly in the counties of Cork and Armagh with an All-Ireland champion being crowned each year, according to the AOH.

Typically, two players alternate taking a turn throwing a heavy iron ball — or bowl, just smaller than a softball — underhand along the road. The winner is the one who can navigate the planned course in the fewest number of throws. Murphy said what makes the game a bit more interesting is that residents of the area follow the participants and make bets throughout the game. He said these crowds make for great “craic,” or good fun in Irish, and time well spent with family and friends.

He added that the roads usually are not closed off, so participants have to keep an eye on vehicles sharing the road, or vice versa.

In West Virginia, the sport has grown since the mid-1990s, with 22 road bowling events being held in 2023. It is played a little bit differently than the game in Ireland, and teams can be involved depending on the location. Betting is not an important part of the game. The Wheeling event is held in September each year; the day starts with team registration at noon. Each participant pays a fee that includes bowling, dinner, music and drinks. In 2010, the first year of Wheeling’s event, 26 teams participated. It is anticipated that in 2023 there will be over 150 teams with close to 1,000 bowlers participating. The AOH said it is considered the largest road bowling event in the world.

After the last iron ball has been bowled, the bowlers as well as those watching on the sidelines enjoy a catered meal and live Irish music with the event lasting well into the evening. A trophy, named in honor of the Rev. Jeremiah McSweeney, is awarded to the team that has the fewest throws. McSweeney, originally from Rossmore, County Cork, Ireland, has ministered to Roman Catholics throughout West Virginia since his arrival in the 1970s. He attends the event each year.

Ultimately, the funds raised are used to assist those in need in the Ohio Valley. Not only is the event for a good cause, but it has increased the popularity of Irish road bowling in West Virginia and created a great outing for family and friends. Irish road bowling is open to all who want to participate. Murphy said it is so successful that the group may consider putting a cap on the number of participants in the future.

This year’s event will begin with registration at noon Saturday at the Sonneborn Shelter near Wheeling Park High School. For more information, to print off a registration form or to see pictures, visit the Facebook page or call 740-695-5610.