Jason Kelce, the former Super Bowl-winning center for the Philadelphia Eagles, recently tried his hand at the ancient Irish sport of road bowling while in Boston for a feature on ESPN.
Kelce was given a rundown of the Irish sport from Sean O'Mahony of Boston Road Bowling in the ESPN feature that aired before the NFL's Giants - Patriots game on Monday, December 2.
"The premise of it basically is, there's a start line and a finish line, whoever gets from the start and crosses the finish line in the least amount of shots is the winner," O'Mahony told Kelce.
Kelce - who has previously visited Ireland and whose wife, Kylie Kelce (née McDevitt), was a former Irish dancer - said he was "excited" to learn the sport, adding, "sounds like fun."
Safe to say, some fun was had:
The newest side quest for @JasonKelce: road bowling 😂🎳
Watch Giants-Patriots at 8 PM ET on ESPN, ESPN2 and the ESPN App 🍿 pic.twitter.com/az6stFHujI
— ESPN (@espn) December 2, 2025
After the ESPN feature aired, Kelce took to social media to share his experience.
"I had an incredible time in Boston this weekend for the Patriots game last night. And it started with Irish Road Bowling," he wrote.
"For those unfamiliar this is an ancient sport where bowlers hurl 28 ounce steel down a road in an effort to make it to the end in less throws rethan the other team/player.
"It is competitive, communal, and there is always a wager staked at the beginning which adds to the atmosphere.
"I played two matches, lost one, won one, and struggled to understand at least 50% of what was said.
"I only knew if I rolled a good one if Connie [Cornelius Cronin] was making a bunch of noise down the road as our spotter.
"The Boston Road Bowling club made it an unforgettable afternoon, and made me an enormous fan of the sport.
"I can’t wait to get another crack at it!"
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But the fun didn't end there - Kelce went on to visit the famous Red Rose Irish Bar in Weymouth, which has a huge Irish / Irish American population.
"And then, like all good sporting events, they end up at a bar afterwards, and the Red Rose Irish Bar, was one of unique beauty. Character, individuality, and a clientele the likes of which was Riki’s, inviting, and down for a good time.
"Pints were poured, memories shared, songs were sung, and the place just felt magical to me as an outsider.
"I dig the entire ethos the Boston Road Bowling club exuded. We even got to teach some pass rushing technique to a young 8th grade football player!"
In the pub, members of Boston Road Bowling club presented Kelce with a Boston 2025 jersey, as well as a road bowl from the 2018 All-Ireland.
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After the ESPN feature aired, Boston Road Bowling extended a "massive thank you" to Kelce and the production team for the "incredible feature."
Sharing some behind-the-scenes pictures, the group said on social media: "Jason came out, threw a score with us and truly embraced the spirit of our sport.
"To see that moment aired nationwide on ESPN Monday Night Football was something we'll never forget.
"His kind words, enthusiasm and respect for the tradition meant the world to everyone in our club."
The group added: "To Jason and the crew-your hard work, time and effort produced an amazing moment that our club will cherish for years to come.
"Thank you for shining a spotlight on our community and helping share Irish Road Bowling with a wider audience.
"We are so grateful-and we hope to see you all back on the road again soon!"
We want to extend a massive thank you to Jason Kelce and the ESPN production team for the incredible feature they put...
Posted by Boston Road Bowling on Tuesday, December 2, 2025
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