The Irish Open Egg Throwing Championship 2011

Report from Mark Graham, The Festival Monkey on the Mohill Games.

There is nothing quite as graceful as a finely tuned athlete hurling eggs

Touched down in Mohill and you couldn’t get around a corner without the community out on the road shaking a bucket at you for their collection for cancer research, every laneway was manned. The Fire-Brigade lads were out washing cars lending a hand. I stopped at the lights and rolled down the window to get directions and threw a bit of change into the bucket, the auld lad with the bucket winked at me, stuck the flag on my lapel and said “Wear this, it will give you freedom”. WTF!? This was starting to get worrying, it was like being in some border-county version of Alice in Wonderland.

Somebody, somewhere was takin’ the piss. They were, and I found the whole lot of them. They were down at the local GAA club throwing eggs at each other.

I’ve been to one or two festivals at this stage, and I can tell you in all honesty that I haven’t laughed as much at any of them (excluding Cats Laughs ) than I have at the Culchie Festival in Mohill, featuring for the first time this year, The Irish Egg Throwing Championships. Mixing together the Culchies and the Egg Throwing produced an omelette of entertainment on a scale that has never been witnessed in any GAA club in any parish or pueblo previously.

Fine Girl y’are!

When it comes to egg throwing (and I can actually speak with a little bit of authority here, as I actually practiced for this event with Ella in her back yard), it’s not so much the throwing that’s important, it’s the catching of the feckin’ thing that requires the skill. You have to take the momentum out of it or you’ll end up yolked. Competitors came in all ages, shapes, sizes and degrees of culchiness. Fair to say that everyone present enjoyed this immensely and it only cost…. FECK ALL MISSUS to enter. Yep, it was free. Proceeds from the event were going to a charity that trains dogs to become companions for autistic children and you could buy a commemorative mug (and they are decent china mugs) for €3 or 2 for a fiver. Get on to the lads and see if they’ll post you out a pair! http://www.culchiefestival.com/

She’s either laying or catching, not sure. Keep an eye on it and see what happens…

This years festival also featured the Culchie Cailín competition for the first time,and was all the better for it too if you ask me They may be culchies, but they’re not sexist. Ask any farmers wife: “Who does most of the work?”.

A Cute Culchie Cailín

When I was in the field I was chatting to two of the Culchie competitors about how there must be a clatter of pints torn into in the evening. “I’m a pioneer and he doesn’t drink that much” says the lad with bailer twine holding up his pants to me. Here we go, back into Alice mode I thought. “No mushrooms either, only with the fry of a Sunday”. The lads were serious. They do it because they can have such a laugh at it without having to drink. One of them met his now wife at the event 11 years ago and he was her escort at the Macra “Quenn of the land” competition the next year. Two sound lads, but seriously deranged in the most wonderful way possible. Eoin won the title in 2003.

Phil and Eoin from Enfield, cheap dates!

By far and away my favourite Culchie was Hughie. Hughie wasn’t dressed up or play actin’ or hiding any mixed olive tapenade in his straw bag. Hughie was Hughie. He was pulling on a fag drinking tae out of an old lucozade bottle that he had produced from his pocket when I asked him if I could take his photo. “Fire away lad, so long as I don’t break the camera”. Hughie had earlier eaten six raw eggs… complete with shells! He didn’t win the Culchie Crown title on Sunday, but on Saturday he was certainly my man of the match.

Cheers Hughie!

There were competitions for kids, women, mixed pairs and men. All competitions were hilarious with people busting eggs off each other by the new time. There was even an official from the World Egg Throwing Federation present on the day to help officiate and keep things above board, including his hands

Who looks the happiest?

‘Twas just as well the English fella was there, because after the main mens event, there was a mixed pair of a lad from Mohill and a Dutch Dude who had flown in especially for the event (the two Dutch champions didn’t even get a look in against the strong local contenders during the main event). The lad from Mohill who was part of the winning mens duo had an arm on’im like a horse’s leg! He’s a Road Bow-ler (not bowler, that’s a hat English fellas wear ;-P) and he used the bowling windmilling arm technique to fire an egg 61 metres across the width of the field, and in fairness the Dutch lad caught it! Between them they set a new World Egg Throwing Record. I felt humbled and privileged to have witnessed… nah, I didn’t, but I fairly enjoyed it. It was fitting for what was a great days sport, in the widest meaning of the word possible.

Men’s winners. The lad on the left is the one with Shergar’s leg for an arm

When the fun in the field was over, that wasn’t the end of the eggcitement (ah come on, I’m allowed one!?). We all adjourned to a hotel down the road for Egg Roulete. It’s like that scene from ‘The Deer Hunter’, but instead of a gun loaded with just one bullet, you have six eggs, five boiled and one raw that you must take turns in breaking against your head. I failed miserably, the first egg I busted of me bulb was far from boilt, twas raw. So with an eggy head and a pain in my face from laughing, it was back on the road. Phil and Eoin were right, you didn’t have to drink in order to have a good time, but balance is good, so it was off to a Gypsy Jazz and Craft Beer festival in North Tipperary. Cloughtoberfest ho!

Egg on my face after the release of my latest albumen (straight in at No. 2 in my pun TOTP!)

Reproduction of this article and photographs is by kind permission of Mark Graham (The Festival Monkey). You can follow his adventures via http://ayearoffestivalsinireland.com/

Dutch heroes on the way to Ireland

Eiwerpers sluiten seizoen af in Ierland

Makkum -- De Makkumer wereldkampioenen eiwerpen Andries Smink en Willem Rienstra zullen Nederland vertegenwoordigen op het Open Ierse Kampioenschap Eiwerpen dat op 29 oktober in Mohill (co Leitrim) zal worden gehouden. Gezien de resultaten eerder dit jaar is het bepaald niet ondenkbaar, dat zij hoge ogen gaan gooien. Smink en Rienstra werden dit jaar wereldkampioen in het Engelse Swaton en Smink werd met Chris Kooistra kampioen tijdens de Open Nederlands Kampioe! nschappen in Makkum. Tevens werd Smink uitgeroepen tot koning van de Makkumer Merke 2011

Smink en Rienstra hebben er zin in. “Winst op de Open Ierse zou een mooie afsluiting van een succesvol seizoen zijn ,” aldus Andries Smink. De afstanden die hij en Rienstra tijdens de trainingssessies van afgelopen week behaalden beloven in ieder geval veel goeds voor Ierland.

Smink en Rienstra zullen in Engeland worden vergezeld door hun coach Simon Jaspers die tevens optreedt als chef de mission.

"Wij zullen in de vroege ochtend van 28 oktober vanaf Schiphol naar Dublin vliegen, zodat het team voldoende tijd heeft om zich voor te bereiden en de eiwerparena te verkennen," zegt Simon Jaspers. De eiwerpers worden 30 oktober omstreeks 18:00 uur terugverwacht in Makkum.

Jacques Hoogenboom, eveneens uit Makkum en Nederlands vertegenwoordiger van de World Egg Throwing Federaton (WETF), is door de WETF aangewezen als internationaal scheidsrechter bij zowel het eiwerpen als de russische ei roulette tijdens de Open Ierse Kampioenschappen.

In 2012 zal het Open Nederlands Kampioenschap op 7 juli worden gespeeld in Makkum. De verrichtingen van de eiwerpers kunnen worden gevolgd op www.eiwerpen.nl en http://twitter.com/#aaismite

Noot voor redactie: Op de foto van links naar rechts: Andries Smink, Simon Jaspers en Willem Rienstra

Voor meer informatie: Jetze Genee: 06 29 530 749 Willem Rienstra: 06 51 051 997

And now in English.

Dutch egg throwing phenomens end season in Ireland

Makkum/the Netherlands – World champions egg throwing Andries Smink and Willem Rienstra from Makkum will represent the Netherlands in the Irish Open, to be held on October 29th in Mohill (county Leitrim). According to their splendid results this year it is to be expected that the Dutch couple will not play an inferior role. Not only Smink and Rienstra captured the World Champions Crown in Swaton, but Smink and his other partner, Chris Kooistra, won the Dutch Open title in Makkum as well. Not suprisingly Andries Smink was crowned King of the Makkumer Merke 2011.

Both gentlemen look forward to participate in Mohill. “Winning the Irish Open would complete a very successful season,” says Andries Smink. “We believe that is not utopia, since we have thrown remarkable distances in recent training sessions. It improves our confidence in a realizing a good result in Ireland.”

At the Irish Open Smink and Rienstra will be supported by their coach Simon Jaspers, acting as the Dutch chief de mission as well. "Our scheme is to depart from Schiphol Amsterdam Airport in the early morning of October 28th in order to arrive in time in Dublin to have sufficient preparation time and to explore the egg throwing arena,” Jaspers stated. The team is expected to return to Makkum on October 30th, around 18:00 hrs.

Jacques Hoogenboom from Makkum and the official representative of the World Egg Throwing Federaton (WETF) in the Netherlands, was appointed international referee for the Irish event. He will supervise the long distance throwing as well as the Russian Egg Roulette competition.

In 2012 the Dutch Open Championships is schemed for Saturday July 7th in Makkum. A report of the efforts of the Dutch team will be on www.eiwerpen.nl and http://twitter.com/#aaismite.

On the picture:
[from left to right] Andries Smink, Simon Jaspers, Willem Rienstra

For further information:

Jetze Genee: +31 6 29 530 749
Willem Rienstra: +31 6 51 051 997

Stichting Open Nederlands Kampioenschap Eiwerpen
Netherlands Open Eggthrowing Championships
Kerkeburen 56
8754 EA Makkum
secretariaat@eiwerpen.nl
www.eiwerpen.nl
Bank: Rabobank 1597.68.047
KvK: 51847248

Irish Tossers take on the World

Whats big in Ireland next week?

The Presdiential race?.............. Nope!

The plight of the Euro?...............Nope!

The Rugby World Cup?..............Not any more!

The Culchie Festival and the 1st national Open Egg Throwing Championship?

You betcha!!!

As all Ireland waits with bated breath for the highlight of the sporting calender all other matters fade into obscurity.... The Worlds best international players descend into Ireland this week to take on Ireland's brightest hopefuls at World Championship Level Egg Throwing.

Approved by the
World Egg Throwing Federation

(incorporating the All England Egg Throwing Federation). in conjunction with the Culchie Festival
Saturday the 29^th of October

Mohill, County Lietrim

This event aims to place Mohill at the head of sport egg throwing and pave the way for the event to become fully recognised by Sport Ireland. You can be part of it and gain the chance of guaranteed entry to the 2012 Word Egg Throwing Championships as Ireland’s official representative.

The World Egg throwing Federation is proud to recognise these games and looks forward to the rapid growth in its popularity under the leadership of Irish Egg Throwing President Paddy Rock, who said “This is a great opportunity for the people of Ireland to show what they are made of. We recognise it’s a new sport to some but we will be training people all day to take part in the finals and a chance for glory and world fame”

The Irish games will consist of 2 disciplines.

Throw and Catch

Russian Egg Roulette

Official Recognition being sought

The sport of egg throwing, thought to have been invented in 1322, is seeking official recognition via the English Sports Council. All required criteria have been fulfilled for 4 of the 5 sports and the application is now being resubmitted for the 5th. We expect their decision shortly. It is hoped that success will enable Egg Throwing to being admitted as a demonstration sport in the 2012 London Olympics.

Confirmed contestants from around the globe

We can already confirm the attendance of the current Egg Throwing World and Dutch National Champions http://www.eiwerpen.nl/ and the previous World Russian Egg Roulette Champion Englands Opal Upton-Brooker. International Judges will be present to ensure fair play.

How to play

See www.eggthrowing.com for details of how to play each game

Andy Dunlop

World President

World Egg Throwing Federation.

Notes to editors.

Photos can be supplied or taken directly from the website.

Please use the website address in any coverage. www.eggthrowing.com

Contact the writer for quotes.

The WETF and Swaton Vintage Day are run entirely without profit to raise funds for local and national charitable good causes including the Red Cross, Leukaemia Research and Air Ambulance provision. The Irish National is being run to support service dogs for Autistic Children. No chickens will be hurt during the games. All eggs are stockpiled from local, happy and free-range sources. All eggs have been selected from those classified as not fit for consumption. Eggs may be at least 6 months old.

Crime report

Its been a while since World Egg Throwing Federation HQ received a coat of paint and the timber is suffering. The CEO decided some months ago that it should be re coated during the summer and left Half Done to organise it. 1^st mistake.

In October Half Done arranges for chippy John the Joiner to start work. This isn’t a mistake, apart from the timing, as they are a lot of repairs and John, being a useful sort of chap, can also wield a paint brush properly. John is to be assisted by Half Done. When I say assisted I mean he will make coffee and offer opinions on a range of subjects, most of which he knows nothing about such as chippying and painting. He is mostly unable to assist physically because of his damaged left arm. Johns work commences, stripping off the old stuff, rubbing down, 2 coats of primer, 2 under coats and 2 top.

Half Done (thinking he is a bright sort, 2^nd mistake) recognises that despite being left handed, he could assist by using a sander with his right arm to remove a touch of paint. He shows this by sanding the window frame with a small Bosch 90 detail sander. He then discovers that a detail sander can also create a number of immovable small circles on glass. 3^rd mistake. Half Done now restricts himself to the art of fetching and carrying light stuff. He puts everything away after each day in the open front cart sheds. 4th mistake.

Over the weekend, The CEO is disturbed by the dogs wild and insistent barking when the automatic outside approach lights come on. The dogs bark for a number of reasons and have two types of bark they use. One for people they recognise and the other for strangers, hedgehogs, cats, the wind, an aircraft, another dog barking four miles away and foxes. This time it’s the latter bark and the CEO goes to see which it is. No sign of anything and the dogs stop barking as soon as the door is opened.

Monday, Half Done is about to go off to see a Doctor about his damaged arm and John is to be left to his own devices. He is happy but asks Half Done where the Bosch 90 sander is. A search of the cart store finds several but no Bosch. Half Done declares “It may have been stolen last night but I’ll look again later”. The CEO berates him for being an idiot and not locking it up in his shed.

Tuesday, Half Done undertakes a serious top to bottom search of the property to find the sander. Not a sign of it is to be found apart from its empty carry case and so………. he buys another. The CEO berates him for not securing it properly and demands he reports it to the Police. He says he will.

Wednesday, the CEO berates him again and the Police are contacted and arrange for a report to be taken. A charming lady Police Officer arrives that evening to discuss with the CEO Half Dones incompetences, how nice the cats are, what a nice house it is, how to stop smoking and again what an idiot Half Done is.

Thursday, the report of the burglary is now around the village and Half Done is the butt of many jokes.

Friday, Half Done goes into his office, sits down, turns on computer and waits for machine to warm up. As he does so he notice a dusty Bosch 90 sander on the floor.

World Egg Throwing Championships makes China's school curriculum

Taken from http://dayi.prcedu.com/question_683756

Can egg throwing be an olympic
提问学员：ie8aacd 问题学科：初一英语 时间：11-09-06 21:42包月提问 状态：已解答
There are many kinds of sports in the word and some of them are very interesting .Egg throwing is one of them .We all know , usually ,it's not nice to throw eggs at people or other things.But egg throwinggame is another thing. As a popular sport today ,it is played by lots of people all over the world. There is seven a World Egg Throwing Championship in England every year .
When people take part in an egg throwing game, they have to follow some rules.For example ,players must not use any kind of help such as gloves and nets when catching or throwing eggs. Team members can wear the clothes given to them by the organizers . They can also wear glasses to protect their eyes.
Now,some egg throwing fans in England want to make egg throeing an Olympic sport.Canthey make it? Let's wait and see.
Questions
1.Where can people take part in the World Egg Throwing Championship?
2.Can the players wear gloves th catch eggs?
3.What are some egg throwing fans trying to do?