THE STONES OF STRENGTH IS BACK ON JULY 31ST, 2026 AT THE DUBLIN IRISH FESTIVAL
Stones of Strength at the

Dublin Irish Festival

EVENT RULES

Join us on Friday, July 31, 2026 at Coffman Park in Dublin, Ohio Held at the country's largest Irish festival, you're sure to have a fantastic time.

Start time: 4:30 PM EST

MENS AND WOMENS OPEN CLASSES

1ST PLACE $300

2ND PLACE $200

3RD PLACE $100

Events AND RULES for Dublin Irish Festival 2026

EVENT 1: STONE THROW - men: 117 lb. / Women: 50 lb.

THE PRESSING STONE WILL START ON THE GROUND AT THE ATHLETES’ FEET. THE ATHLETE WILL THEN LIFT THE STONE TO AN OVERHEAD POSITION AND WAIT FOR THE JUDGE TO GIVE A DOWN SIGNAL WHICH QUALIFIES THE LIFT AS 1 REPETITION. TO QUALIFY AS A GOOD REPETITION THE ATHLETES ARMS MUST BE ABOVE THEIR HEAD WITH THEIR ELBOWS IN A LOCKED POSITION; THE ATHLETES HEAD MUST PASS BETWEEN THEIR ARMS AND LOOKING FORWARD WITH THE STONE DIRECTLY OVER THEIR HEAD; THE ATHLETES FEET MUST BE STATIONARY WITH KNEES LOCKED OUT. THE ATHLETE WILL BE REQUIRED TO PERFORM A LIFT OF EACH STONE IN ASCENDING WEIGHT ORDER. AFTER COMPLETING A LIFT OF THE FIRST STONE THE ATHLETE WILL ADVANCE TO THE SECOND STONE. AFTER COMPLETING A LIFT OF THE SECOND STONE THE ATHLETE WILL ADVANCE TO THE THIRD STONE. THE ATHLETE WILL THEN COMPLETE REPETITIONS WITH THE FINAL STONE. AFTER EVERY REPETITION THE STONE MUST BE PLACED ON THE GROUND BEFORE THE ATHLETE ATTEMPTS ADDITIONAL REPETITIONS. AFTER THE ALLOTTED TIME HAS EXPIRED THE JUDGE WILL CALL TIME AND ALL QUALIFIED LIFTS WILL BE RECORDED BY THE JUDGE.

THE STONE WILL START ON THE GROUND AT THE ATHLETES’ FEET. THE ATHLETE WILL TAKE THE STONE AND LIFT THE STONE TO THEIR SHOULDER. THE ATHLETE WILL COMPLETE AS MANY REPETITIONS AS POSSIBLE WITHIN THE TIME LIMIT. TO COMPLETE THE LIFT THE ATHLETE MUST HAVE THE STONE ON THE TOP PART OF THEIR SHOULDER WITH ONE HAND BEING ALLOWED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE STONE WITH THE OTHER HAND OUT TO THE SIDE OF THEIR BODY AND THEIR FEET STATIONARY. IF ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS ARE MET STATED ABOVE THE JUDGE WILL THEN GIVE A DOWN SIGNAL ALLOWING THE ATHLETE TO PLACE THE STONE BACK ON THE GROUND. THE COMPLETION OF A FULL LIFT OF THE STONE WILL BE AWARDED TWENTY (20) POINTS PER REPETITION. IF AN ATHLETE IS NOT ABLE TO COMPLETE A FULL LIFT OF THE STONE, POINTS WILL BE GIVEN FOR PARTIAL LIFTS. LAPPING THE STONE IS WHEN THE ATHLETE PICKS THE STONE FROM THE GROUND AND PLACES IT IN THEIR LAP WHILE IN A SQUATTED POSITION. LAPPING A STONE IS VALUED AT ONE (1) POINT PER REPETITION. RAISING THE STONE TO THE ATHLETES’ CHEST IS A PROGRESSION FROM THE LAPPING OF THE STONE. ONCE THE ATHLETE HAS LAPPED THE STONE, THEY WILL PROCEDE TO STAND UP WITH THE STONE WITH THE STONE AT CHEST HEIGHT WHILE IN A STANDING POSITION. DUE TO THE POSITION OF THE ATHLETES BODY AND INABILITY TO SEE THE JUDGE, THE JUDGE WILL GIVE A VERBAL GOOD LIFT COMMAND. IF THE ATHLETE DROPS THE STONE PRIOR TO THE COMMAND THE SCORE IS RELIANT ON THE JUDGES DESCRETION. IF AN ATHLETE LIFTS THE STONE TO THEIR CHEST SUCCESSFULLY, THEY WILL BE AWARDED THREE (3) POINTS PER REPITITION. SCORES FROM ATTEMPTS CANNOT BE STACKED AS THE LIFT PROGRESSES. EVEN THOUGH MOST ATHLETES WILL LAP, THEN CHEST, THEN SHOULDER THE STONE IN THAT PROGRESSION THE ATHLETE ONLY RECIEVES POINTS FOR THE SHOULDERING OF THE STONE. THE ATHLETES SCORE WILL BE A TOTAL OF ALL ATTEMPTS WITHIN THE REQUIRED TIME.

THERE WILL BE 5 ATLAS STONES PLACED IN A ROW IN ORDER OF ASCENDING WEIGHT. THERE IS A HORIZONTAL BAR PARALLEL TO THE STONES MAKING THE OBJECTIVE TO LIFT THE STONES OVER THE BAR. THE STONES WILL BE LIFTED ONE AT A TIME FROM THE GROUND AND DROPPED OVER THE BAR IN THE ORDER THAT THE STONES ARE PLACED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. THE JUDGE WILL MARK A CUMULATIVE TIME FOR EACH STONE LIFTED TO ENSURE AN ACCURATE TIME IN THE CASE OF A FAILED STONE ATTEMPT. THIS WILL CAUSE THE RECORDED TIME TO BE THAT OF THE LAST SUCCESSFUL STONE LIFTED. IN THE CASE THAT AN ATHLETE COMPLETES ALL 5 ATLAS STONES WITHIN THE PERMITTED TIME THE ATHLETE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEMPT TO LIFT AN ADDITIONAL (SIXTH) BONUS STONE OVER A HITCHING POST. THE BONUS STONE WILL NOT BE COUNTED WITHIN THE ALLOWABLE TIME CONSTRAINT OF THE ATLAS STONE RUN. THE BONUS STONE GIVES AN ATHLETE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE AN ADDITIONAL POINT TOWARDS THEIR STANDINGS IN THIS EVENT. EACH ATHLETE THAT ATTEMPTS THE BONUS STONE WILL BE LIMITED TO ONE ATTEMPT TO COMPLETE THE LIFT. THE TIME ALLOTMENT FOR THIS EVENT IS SIXTY (60) SECONDS FOR THE STANDARD ATLAS STONES. FIFTEEN (15) SECONDS WILL BE ALLOWED TO ADDRESS THE BONUS ATLAS STONE PRIOR TO THE ATTEMPT.

A STONE WILL BE THROWN EITHER USING ONE OR TWO HANDS FROM THE CHEST OR OVERHEAD FOR MAXIMUM DISTANCE. THE ATHLETE WILL BE REQUIRED TO STAY WITHIN THE THROWING AREA DURING EACH ATTEMPT. THE THROWING AREA IS A RECTANGULAR AREA FOUR (4) FEET WIDE BY TWELVE (12) FEET LONG WITH MARKED LINES AND A TOE BOARD, ALSO KNOWN AS A TRIG, AT THE THROWING FIELD END OF THE THROWING AREA. THE ATHLETE IS NOT PERMITTED TO STEP OVER NOR ON TOP OF THE TRIG DURING THE ATHLETES ATTEMPT. THE ATHLETE IS REQUIRED TO REMAIN WITHIN THE LINES OF THE THROWING AREA THROUGH COMPLETION OF THEIR ATTEMPTS AND ARE NOT PERMITTED TO TOUCH THE GROUND WITH ANY BODY PART OTHER THAN THEIR FEET DURING THEIR ATTEMPT. IN THE EVENT THAT AN ATHLETE BEGINS THEIR ATTEMPT AND STOPS PRIOR TO PUTTING THE STONE INTO THE THROWING FIELD, THE ATHLETE MUST REQUEST THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESTART THEIR ATTEMPT AND THEN WAIT FOR THE JUDGE TO GIVE PERMISSION TO RESTART THE ATTEMPT. AFTER THE ATHLETES ATTEMPT, THE ATHLETE MUST EXIT THE MARKED THROWING AREA FROM BEHIND THE TRIG. THE ATHLETE IS NOT PERMITTED TO EXIT THE THROWING AREA BY STEPPING OVER THE TRIG. IF THERE ARE VIOLATIONS OF THE REQUIREMENTS FROM ABOVE THE JUDGE WILL CALL FOUL AND THE ATTEMPT WILL BE VOIDED. IF THERE ARE NO VIOLATIONS OF THE REQUIREMENTS FROM ABOVE THEN THE ATTEMPT WILL BE MARKED AND MEASURED. MEASUREMENT OF EACH VALID ATTEMPT WILL BE MADE FROM THE CLOSEST POINT OF IMPACT FROM THE STONE IN THE THROWING FIELD TO THE CENTER LINE OF THE TRIG ON THE THROWING AREA SIDE OF THE TRIG. THE DISTANCE WILL BE RECORDED IN FEET AND INCHES WITH THE FURTHEST THROW BEING RECORDED BY EACH ATHLETE.

EVENT 2: DUBLIN PRESSING STONE

men: 150, 180, 199 lb. / women: 85,100, 117 lb

EVENT 4: STONE OF STRENGTH

THE FOUNDERS STONE AND THE "SHAM-ROCK"

men: 305 / women: 232

EVENT 5: ATLAS STONES

MEN: 265, 285, 300, 325, 350 - BONUS 400 LB.

WOMEN: 165, 200, 225, 250, 265 - BONUS 285 LB.

EVENT 3: STONE CARRY - men: 300+ / women: 200+

THE FIELD WILL BE MARKED WITH A CIRCLE WHICH WILL BE THE DESIGNATED AREA IN WHICH THE EVENT IS PERFORMED. THE STONE WILL BE LIFTED BY THE ATHLETE OUTSIDE OF THE MARKED CIRCLE AND WILL BE DESIGNATED AS THE ATHLETES STARTING POSITION. THE ATHLETE WILL REMAIN OUTSIDE OF THE CIRCLE AND ARE NOT PERMITTED TO STEP INSIDE THE MARKED AREA AS THEY CARRY THE STONE. A VIOLATION OF STEPPING ON OR OVER THE MARKED LINE WILL RESULT IN A WARNING FROM THE JUDGE. A SECOND VIOLATION WILL RESULT IN THE JUDGE CALLING THE COMPLETION OF THE ATTEMPT AND WILL MARK THE END OF THE CARRY. THE ATHLETE MAY CARRY THE STONE IN THE DIRECTION OF THEIR CHOOSING; EITHER CLOCKWISE OR COUNTERCLOCKWISE. ONCE THE STONE IS LIFTED, THE ATHLETE SHALL HAVE SIXTY (60) SECONDS TO COMPLETE TWO (2) LAPS OF THE DESIGNATED COURSE. AT THE POINT THAT THE ATHLETE EITHER DROPS THE STONE OR THE JUDGE DESIGNATES THE COMPLETION OF THE ATTEMPT A MARK WILL BE MADE TO DESIGNATE THE END OF THE ATTEMPT. AT THIS TIME A MEASUREMENT WILL BE MADE ALONG THE MARKED CIRCLE FROM THE START POINT TO THE END POINT OF THE ATHLETES ATTEMPT AND RECORDED BY THE JUDGE. IF THE ATHLETE COMPLETES THE REQUIRED TWO (2) LAPS WITHIN THE ALLOTTED TIME, THE ATHLETES TIME WILL BE RECORDED BY THE JUDGE.

Ohio Stones of Strength