Heritage NorthThe Ba' - Collection at Kirkwall
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THE KIRKWALL BA’ GAME The unique game known as the Ba’ is played through the streets of Kirkwall every Christmas and New Year’s Day. It is a rare survivor of the mass football games that were popular during medieval times throughout Northern Europe. It is first recorded in Kirkwall around 1650. It is played between two teams, the Up-the-Gates and the Down-the-Gates, known locally as Uppies and Doonies. The ba’ is made of leather panels stitched together and filled with cork dust to create a solid ball that can withstand the pressure within the scrum. The ba’ is thrown up from the Market Cross in front of St Magnus Cathedral, and a scrum forms around it. Both teams use whatever method they can to get it to their goal. There are no rules and the game can last for hours. The Uppies goal is the gable wall of a house, while the Doonies have to get it into the sea at the harbour. |
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| Eric X. a former resident of Orkney, tells about his participation in both the boys and man's Ba game. This is a picture of him in the ruck below. In the audio interview below he sheds light on some of the undercurrents of the game and presents his own perspective. |
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