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Shay
ELLAMORE -- Thanks to his skills in an obsure sport, one local resident has earned a trip to Ireland this fall.
Andy Shay, of Ellamore, recently captured the Irish Road Bowling National Championship in Boston, Massachusetts. Shay, who defeated fellow West Virginian Travis McClintic of Lewisburg to win the title, will compete in the All-Ireland Road Bowls Finals next month.
The competition will be held at Fenor Village in Waterford, Ireland on Sept. 3 and 4. Bowlers from Ireland's Four Provinces will join bowlers from London and North America for the event.
Shay faced off against the nation's best at the national title event, competing as the highest grade, Novice 2. At the national finals, which were held at Wompatuck State Park, McClintic took the early advantage before Shay rallied for the win.
A 250-yard throw into an uphill curve, along with several other steady and accurate shots down the stretch, helped propel Shay to the victory.
Throughout the year, Shay competes with other bowlers from the Mountain State on the West Virginia Irish Road Bowling Association Tour. After being shut down for the past two years due to COVID-19, the WVIRBA reopened this year and held more than 20 events.
An upcoming event scheduled for the tour in this area will be Sept. 3 at the Barbour County Fair. The competition is slated to take place in the city of Philippi.
Irish Road Bowling is an ancient sport, in which competitors used an iron and steel cannonball, about the size of a baseball, and hurl it down a 1.3 mile course. The bowler with the fewest throws to the finish line wins.
"Irish Road Bowling is extremely easy to learn and extremely difficult to master," David Powell, founder of the WVIRBA, said. "Road bowling is so exciting, yet between shots it's just a leisurely stroll down a beautiful country road. Give it a try, experience the thrill of throwing that one 'savage' bowl or the elusive 'miler' where you just cannot believe how far it goes."
In 1995, the first official Irish Road Bowling score match was played in West Virginia since the Civil War. The first-ever West Virginia champions were Salem Shooters, Aaron Helmick, Bob Blagg, Powell and Brad Carmichael, who all retired undefeated.