• What to know if you go

David Powell (ENLARGE)

The West Virginia road bowling circuit holds nearly 20 events on 14 stretches of road throughout the state. The season opens annually with Lewis County's Irish Spring Festival.

(ENLARGE)

2005 Road Bowling Champ Con O'Callan shows his form at the Irish Spring Fest and road bowling tournament in Ireland, W.Va.

David Powell (ENLARGE)

Amateur road bowlers give it a shot at last year's Irish Spring Festival and road bowling tournament in Ireland, W.Va.

Folks in the hollows and ridges all over West Virginia are brushing up on their underhand throw. The West Virginia Road Bowling season goes into full swing March 17-18 at the Irish Spring Festival in — where else? — Ireland, W.Va.

Like their Irish counterparts who started the game 350 years ago, these strong-armed bowlers hurl an iron ball a mile or two down a country road.

The player or team reaching the finish line in the fewest shots wins.

Anyone can play; everyone is encouraged to take a shot and yell "Faugh a Ballach," a traditional Irish battle cry meaning, "Clear the way."

Veteran bowlers compete side by side with newcomers and giggling sixth-grade girls at these friendly events that are gaining popularity in eastern central West Virginia.

A good shot, not counting the 15-foot running start, is 150 yards. The Mountain State record is 422, but that was downhill.

But the bravest person in this competition is probably the "road shower," the person who stands ahead of the thrower, feet wide apart, to show the best path down the road.

No, these cannonballs don't bounce, and showers try not to be on the spot as the ball approaches.

To make matters more challenging, the road is usually not closed during the match, so it's important to stay alert for cars.

As a precaution, organizers put up signs along the course to warn drivers to watch out for the players and the black iron they're hurling.

Spectators and even livestock in bordering pastures also must be alert.

Balls do go astray. More than a few of last year's teams' shots slid off the road entirely, necessitating a dive into ditches and briars to fetch them.

Sometimes the ball is just lost, gone into the wilds. Lost balls are common enough that signing up for the tournament requires a small deposit, which you forfeit if you lose your ball. Regular players often bring their own brightly painted balls.

Eleven years ago, David Powell saw a televised Irish road bowling game and brought the sport to West Virginia, where it has been a major part of the Irish Spring Festival ever since.

"I went to the Library of Congress, and in the 128 million odd items, there was only one book on Irish road bowling," Powell says. "I brought it out, and we tried to figure out the rules of the game."

Now the matches are becoming better known and better established.

"We've had record numbers for most of our matches in 2006," Powell says. He has been coordinating Irish road bowling throughout the Mountain State for more than a decade.

The West Virginia road bowling circuit holds nearly 20 events on 14 stretches of road throughout the state. The season opens annually with Lewis County's Irish Spring Festival and ends with the Yankee Skedaddle at nearby Stonewall Resort in November.

In between, bowlers keep their arms in shape through competitions at the West Virginia Strawberry Festival, West Virginia Carp Festival, Preston County Buckwheat Festival, Barbour County Fair and other West Virginia festivals. Occasionally, West Virginia bowlers will take on road bowlers from Boston or New York, where the sport is also played.

It's still a laidback sport in West Virginia. Tournaments cost nothing; state rankings are an unofficial list compiled by Powell, and there are no referees. Powell awards trophies and cash prizes but is wary of making everything too official.

Su Clauson-Wicker is author of "Inn-to-Inn Walking Guide: Virginia and West Virginia" and "West Virginia Off the Beaten Path."

• What to know if you go

IF YOU GO

For more information on competitions, contact the West Virginia Irish Road Bowling Association at 202-387-1680 or www.wvirishroadbowling.com.

Here's a partial list of events:

March 17-18: Irish Spring Festival, Ireland, W.Va.

April 28-29: Pipestem State Park, Mercer County, W.Va.

May 19-20: Strawberry Festival, Buckhannon, W.Va.

June (dates to be determined): Gold Dollar Days, Weston, W.Va.

July 21-22: West Virginia Singles Finals, Ireland, W.Va.

Aug. 18: Doddridge County Fair, West Union, W.Va.

Aug. 25: Barbour County Fair, historic Philippi, W.Va.

Sept. 1: Cass Scenic Railroad State Park Heritage Festival, Cass, W.Va.

Sept. 29: Mountain State Forest Festival, Elkins, W.Va.

Sept. 30: Preston County Buckwheat Festival, Kingwood, W.Va.

Oct. 6: Holly River State Park Fall Challenge (& Pig Roast), Hacker Valley, W.Va.

Nov. 4: Stonewall Resort Yankee Skedaddle, Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park, Roanoke, W.Va.