Columbus Irish Shenanigans: Irish Road Bowling
- John O'Brien
- November 28, 2020
- Edited 3 months ago
Table of Contents
Shamrock Club of Columbus Irish Whiskey Fans of America Lock-in Watch Party
Irish Whiskey is in a major resurgence. Where there used to be just a handful of distilleries across the isle, now you need a detailed map to find them all.
America is not left out in loving this recent trend of new offerings from Irish distilleries and has been lucky enough to follow new developments in the market through Barry Chandler of Stories and Sips (and also of Cobh, Ireland in Co. Cork) and his Friday Night Lock-Ins. Barry created the Irish Whiskey Fans of America group on Facebook and has been amassing members to his cause of appreciating Ireland’s most loved export.
Before the global pandemic, Barry hosted whiskey tastings around the Columbus area, converting one bourbon lover after another to Ireland’s favorite spirit. Building from the Facebook group and the isolation of what the pandemic has thrown at us, Stacie Stearns and Scott Robinson organized a group watch in what was the first meeting of the Columbus Chapter of the Irish Whiskey Fans of America.
Barry interviewed Shamrock Club President Andy Shuman while relaxing by his peat fire in Cork, as well as Stacie and Scott, on what the chapter will bring to Columbus and the Shamrock Club of Columbus.
Sharing history, sips were poured and enjoyed, and the Hooligans played into the night. If you would like to watch the replay of the lock-in, check out Barry’s website www.storiesandsips.com. It is a treasure trove of information about Irish whiskey and the history that surrounds it. Sláinte!
7th Annual Irish Road Bowling
October 31 featured a full moon, Halloween, and most importantly, a beautiful day for the Greater Columbus Irish Cultural Foundation’s (GCICF) Irish Road Bowling event. This is the first time in three years that it wasn’t freezing cold and didn’t rain. Participants took off layers as they rolled their steel balls down the roads of Deer Creek State Park towards the finish. This year’s winners came from West Virginia, the Pre-Gamers; second was Past Shamrock Club President Pat Byrne’s team, and third was Past Shamrock Club President Brian O’Reilly’s team.
Irish Road Bowling has its origins from 1600s Ireland with its first official match being held in 1928. The first GCICF Irish Road Bowling event took place in 2014 with seven teams.
Two years later it became a fundraiser and brought in twelve teams. In the four years since, 2020 has been the biggest turnout, with twenty-three teams (ninety-four players) and raised $1,400 for the Foundation.
The GCICF was originally part of the Shamrock Club of Columbus but separated in 2004 to continue supporting Irish culture and activities in the greater Columbus area. If you would like to donate to the GCICF and help it support the many scholarships and events it hosts, check out their website: https://columbusirishculture.com/
