About Petanque
Pétanque (French pronunciation: [petɑ̃k]; Occitan: Petanca [peˈtaŋkɔ]) is a form of boules where the goal is, while standing inside a starting circle with both feet on the ground, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet (literally “piglet”) or jack. It is also sometimes called a bouchon (literally “cork”) or le petit (“the small one”).
The game is normally played on hard dirt or gravel, but can also be played on grass, sand or other surfaces. Similar games are bocce and bowls. The current form of the game originated in 1907 in La Ciotat, in Provence, in southern France.
The English and French name pétanque comes from petanca in the Provençal dialect of the Occitan language, deriving from the expression pès tancats [ˈpɛs taŋˈkats], meaning “feet together” or more exactly “feet anchored”.
In Ireland there are 22 petanque clubs recognised by the Irish Petanque Association (IPA)with around 650 members in total. The IPA was established in 1990 and is the governing body for pétanque across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. They promote the sport’s growth, ensuring it is accessible to all, regardless of age, gender, or ability.
With clubs spread across the country, the IPA unites players through national competitions and major club events. We are affiliated with the Confédération Européenne de Pétanque (CEP) and the Fédération Internationale de Pétanque et Jeu Provençal (FIPJP), allowing Ireland to compete in international championships, including the World and European Championships and the Celtic Challenge against Scotland and Wales.
In France, pétanque is played by about 17 million people in France, mostly during their summer vacations and is also widely played in neighbouring Spain. There are about 600,000 players licensed with the International Federation of Petanque and Provencal game, 375,000 in France with the Fédération Française de Pétanque et Jeu Provençal (FFPJP) and some 3,000 in England. In the United States (FPUSA) has 1,500 members in 40 clubs, and estimates about 30,000 play nation wide. Another 20,000 or so play in Quebec, Canada. Additionally, pétanque clubs have arisen in cities throughout the United States in recent years. Petanque is also played in Southeast Asia due to the French presence in the area during the last centuries: Laos, north Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.
The Pétanque World Championships is the international competition and takes place every two years, while the main individual pétanque tournament takes place every year in Marseille, with more than 10,000 participants and more than 150,000 spectators.
Frankfield Pétanque Cork 