Bowling News - June 2025
Bray BC revived the Sally Napier Cup, a round-robin competition for our 13 new bowlers. Sally was Owen Byrne's aunt and had run a newsagent on Main Street before joining the club in the 1970s. As she got older her daughter, Anne, told her she would scatter her ashes on the Bray green. Sally's response: "Oh, don't do that. Somebody will hit a bad shot and blame me!" After their mother passed away, Anne and her brothers donated a Waterford Crystal trophy in her name to the club. The last winner of the trophy before this year was Michelle Cronin in 2004.
A similar competition had been run in the 2010s called the Oliver Cullen Trophy.
In the second round of the IBA Senior Cup Bray played host to Old Bleach from Randalstown, Co Antrim. Much hard work went into making the day a success from President Terri McKeon, Captain Eamonn Kennedy and many others. Rob McGrath found himself up against Adam McKeon who, at 25, was already enjoying a glittering career and even has his own wikipedia page!. Rob felt he let the occasion get to him but even that was a learning experience for an upcoming bowler like him. His friend, Wes Kehoe, fared better, as did John Gilliland.
Ciarán O' Brien was among the spectators and noticed several things about the visitors: their smaller, straighter bowls; a pronounced youthfulness compared to their grey-haired hosts; and the sheer brilliance of their skips. Robbie Shannon added: "They took a few ends to figure out the green then they were off!" While a noisy crowd cheered on the local team it was the silky skills of the Northmen that prevailed.
It was a similar tale of woe for other southern teams. Crumlin lost at home to Larne while Dun Laoghaire were taken out by the current holders, Portrush. Blackrock had had hopes of making it through but came home with nothing after their long trek to Letterkenny.
Our one success was CYM who enjoyed a resounding victory in Terenure against Kilrea. Their reward in Round 3 was a trip to, ahem, Old Bleach. In that match, despite the southern champions winning on two rinks and coming close on a third, they eventually succumbed to their hosts' superiority.
CYM are also the only side from the south of the border still left in the IBA Intermediate Cup. They will face Pickie in Terenure on the 5th July.
Bray was grateful to Mags McNevin who coached our visually impaired member, David O'Connor, in Crumlin.
To mark the Centenary of Clontarf Bowling Club and to honour Women in Sport, it was decided that the club's pairs competition would be mixed this year. 32 teams took part including Bray's Mick Keegan and Patricia Fitzpatrick. They made it to the final but lost to Crumlin's Sarah Kelly and Daniel Loughran.
In the British Isles Women's International series in Wales the Crumlin trio of Amy Carruth, Noleen and Sarah Kelly helped Ireland secure an excellent runners-up place behind England. The Sasanaigh also won the men's series where Ireland, featuring Crumlin's Shane Leonard, finished fourth of five.
At the half-way mark in the Premier League CYM and Crumlin jostled for top spot while Bray lay in sixth position out of eight. In Saturday Division 1 it was Blackrock and Crumlin that were seeking the title while Bray were a lowly one place off the bottom. Could they pull off another escape act this season? Bray's Monday Division 1 side lay third in their league though a stretch behind leaders, Ierne. The Monday Division 2 team occupied the mid-table spot in a league topped by Bank of Ireland. Five teams in Wednesday Division 1 formed a tight bunch at the top with Bray second behind leaders, Blackrock. Of Bray's Thursday teams Peter Gough's Vets 2 outfit held the top spot with the other three somewhat off the pace.
Patrick Brosnan, Bray BC.
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