Bray Bowling News -November 2023
It is all change for the winter as Irish Lawn Bowls took over from the All-Weather Bowling Association. The Winter League is now a five division affair with promotion and relegation for the winners and losers. The regional approach is gone and your opponents can be anywhere in the Dublin region (which caused some grumbling in the ranks!). Matches are held on Saturday mornings and Bray shares Fáilte Park with a team from Blackrock. Bray have three teams: in Divisions 1, 4 and 5.
A Winter Vets league has also been introduced which runs on Wednesday mornings. Four divisions are in operation and again Bray entered three teams: in Divisions 1, 3 and 4. The Greystones vets team shares the Bray green for the duration. Currently Bray B are heading Division 3 though it's early days yet.
Club captain, Dave McMahon, and senior skip, Chris Fenton, arranged drill sessions where any member could come along to test their skills against differently configured heads. Each bowler has two bowls and the drills have included (i) draw to a short jack just in front of the ditch; (II) knock a jack positioned between two bowls into the ditch; (III) come into four "opposition" bowls in front, and to one side, of the jack; and (iv) draw to a jack a short distance behind an "opposition" bowl. Bowlers of all levels have turned up to test their skills. With mixed results!
The men's senior inter-association panel for 2024 has been selected. It includes ten players from Crumlin, nine from CYM and seven from Blackrock. Speaking of The Rock, Isobel Ruby Nolan has been selected for upcoming under-18’s, under-25’s and senior tournaments. Her grandmother, Phillis, may be gone but her genes are clearly still with us!
Patrick Brosnan, Bray Bowling Club.
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