Games from Ireland

Which games are Irish or have an Irish connection?

Well, we've looked into this and we think that there are a few games that qualify as games from Ireland:

See also: Start Shopping.

Indoor Irish Games:

• Rings
• Irish Skittles (played with 5 pins)
• Croquet: supposed to have come from a game called Crookey in Northern Ireland
• Quoits: the Northern Irish play a particular version of the proper clay pit game
• Darts: the Irish have their own Darts board

Historic Irish Games:

• Fichneal or Fidchell was an Irish board game of equal sides played in the early second millennium
• Brandubh: a board game of the Tafl variety (unequal sides) that was played in Medieval times

Outdoor Irish Games:

• Hurling
• Gaelic Football
• Handball: while these days handball is played internationally, it grew from a variety of different indigenous handball games from a number of countries, Ireland being one of them. It still has its own rule set played only in Ireland or with GAA clubs in other countries.
• Rounders: the American games Baseball and Softball are both descendants of a game played by Irish immigrants. Today in Ireland it's modern form is called rounders and it's a very popular activity.
• Road bowling: an unusual and exciting version of bowls that it particular to Ireland. It is played with a steal shot, which is tossed under arm by the player down a twisty road. The player who gets to the finish line with the least shots wins. The whole course is called a score. It only really survives in Cork and Armagh, but there are pockets in other countries.