Sheaf-tossing in Ireland

@JudyEv (381837)
Rockingham, Australia
June 29, 2017 12:17pm CST
While at the Haymaking Festival in Trim, Ireland, we watched the sheaf-tossing competition. Two years ago, we marvelled at how high these guys could toss a sheaf of hay. The ‘sheaf’ is now standardised as to dimensions and weight. It weighs 8 pounds and the unofficial record is over 63 feet set in Trim in 2015. We were there at the time. I’m not sure what the height was this year but it was something very similar and achieved by the same man, Michael O’Brien. A pitchfork is used to toss the sheaf over a bar. I’ve included a YouTube link so you can see for yourself just how high the bar is. Several other contestants were able to throw the sheaf just as high but their direction was not so accurate.
Unofficial World Record World record sheaf toss 8lbs over 63ft Michael O'Brien Trim Haymaking Festival 21/6/2015 Scurlogstown Olympiad. Sports, power lifting...
13 people like this
12 responses
WorDazza
@WorDazza (15826)
• Manchester, England
29 Jun 17
A haymaking festival eh? I assume the sun was shining.
4 people like this
WorDazza
@WorDazza (15826)
• Manchester, England
29 Jun 17
@JudyEv I do find that hats make my head sweat profusely in hot weather. Not that we ever get much hot weather in this hemisphere.
3 people like this
WorDazza
@WorDazza (15826)
• Manchester, England
29 Jun 17
@MALUSE I knew I had left the hunting of plagiarists in capable hands. I'm ready for action again
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jun 17
It did actually. We'd had a lot of wettish days up until then but on the actual day it was quite hot. There would have been lots of sunburnt people that night. No-one seems to wear a hat over here.
3 people like this
Oshy
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
29 Jun 17
Wow now there is some technique. I had never seen this done but had heard of it Judy.
3 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jun 17
That bar is just SOOO high. I didn't think there was any way he could clear it but he did.
3 people like this
Oshy
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
29 Jun 17
@JudyEv It was a human miracle Judy.
3 people like this
vanny
@vandana7 (102698)
• India
29 Jun 17
@JudyEv .. And straight too.......I mean if it is at a distance...there is natural circular movement..
3 people like this
Nawsheen
@Nawsheen (28761)
• Mauritius
29 Jun 17
That's interesting. I watched the video. I never heard about the sheaf-tossing competition before. Thank you for sharing
2 people like this
Nawsheen
@Nawsheen (28761)
• Mauritius
29 Jun 17
@JudyEv I am sure about it
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jun 17
Possibly every country has special sports that other countries don't have.
2 people like this
vanny
@vandana7 (102698)
• India
29 Jun 17
The only thing I can say is..WOW.
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jun 17
It is pretty impressive isn't it?
crazyhorseladycx
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
29 Jun 17
mercy! that's sure somethin', eh? always surprises me't the thingies folks do fer entertainment :)
1 person likes this
crazyhorseladycx
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
30 Jun 17
@JudyEv yes ma'am, most definitely back'n the day! i recall usin' a pitchfork to haul hay 'p 'nto the upper level 'f the barn back'n the hills...sweaty, backbreakin' work!
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Jul 17
@crazyhorseladycx How high did you toss the sheaves Deb?
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jun 17
It would have been a very necessary skill in the old days. Here's a photo of a load of hay that only stayed on the wagon about ten minutes after the photo was taken.
1 person likes this
John Roberts
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
29 Jun 17
I couldn't throw a rock that high!
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jun 17
I couldn't throw anything that high!
2 people like this
vanny
@vandana7 (102698)
• India
29 Jun 17
@JudyEv ... me too ...ball also would be so difficult to throw that high..
2 people like this
changjiangzhibin89
@changjiangzhibin89 (17239)
• China
30 Jun 17
Tossing that bag of hay over a horizontal bar as high as 63 feet is no mean feat.It is a challenge of strength and skill.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jun 17
It is very, very high when you think about it. I'd probably manage about six feet!
1 person likes this
rebelann1949
@rebelann (117204)
• El Paso, Texas
29 Jun 17
I wonder how old this tradition is. Interesting.
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rebelann1949
@rebelann (117204)
• El Paso, Texas
30 Jun 17
I think it's funny how the human race gets so bored they make games out of chores that need doing @JudyEv
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jun 17
It would go back to the earliest days of binding hay and storing it in stacks so it would have to be pretty ancient.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jun 17
@rebelann You're right. So many chores have been turned into games and competitions.
1 person likes this
susan
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
2 Jul 17
some of these country fayre's have some interesting contests ... i'm glad you enjoyed it....
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Jul 17
After several days of rain it turned out quite hot on the day of the festival so they would have been pleased about that.
1 person likes this
Fiacre Banks
@xFiacre (14784)
• Ireland
29 Jun 17
@judyev I've never seen a clip of an Irishman tossing in a field before.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jun 17
We saw them rolling in the hay too. A fun event with a male and female tied together at the ankles with about two feet of rope I guess then they had to do an obstacle course - climb a gate, climb over hay, ending up with rolling down a hill in the hay.
Scott Ganschow
@teamfreak16 (43571)
• Denver, Colorado
29 Jun 17
That's pretty impressive. I couldn't even come near to close.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jun 17
Getting the direction right is part of the problem too.
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Ruby Hawk
@RubyHawk (99367)
• Atlanta, Georgia
30 Jun 17
Wow, I can't imagine anyone throwing a sheaf of hay so high. That's awesome
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jun 17
It's incredible isn't it?
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Ruby Hawk
@RubyHawk (99367)
• Atlanta, Georgia
1 Jul 17
@JudyEv It is. I wonder how they manage it.
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