Welcome to the web site for the Irish Indoor Bowling Association which is the controlling body for the game of short mat bowls across the island of Ireland. The web site is designed to provide up-to-date information about the IIBA. We hope that you will find the site interesting and informative.

Club Championship

Entries are due for this season’s team and 2 rink competition. Convenors are asked to forward these to the Competition Secretary immediately.

Men’s Inter Zone

Saturday sees the opening fixtures in this season’s Inter Zone Competition. Holders Oriel,favoured by a home draw entertain South Tyrone with a slightly changed team and with the retirement of Kevin Conroy the most noticeable absentee. Donegal entertain Mid Antrim at Cathedral. Western travel to Foyle, Northern travel to Larne. The Down derby sees West Down travel to North Down while Belfast entertain Monaghan.

BRITISH ISLES CHAMPIONSHIPS

AGM Update

This saw the IIBA Affiliation fee rise from £25 to £30 for the incoming season.

The other main change is to Rule 37 Last End or Extra End (page 51) which was changed to

Rule 37 Bowl touching the jack and coming to rest in the ditch

In singles, pairs, triples and fours, if any of the first two bowls delivered by the lead, on any end, shall touch the jack and come to rest completely in the ditch, they shall be declared dead and removed from the mat. If either bowl so delivered comes to rest intersecting the ditch line it shall be marked as a toucher.

Where the former Law 37 covered the last end and extra end, the change in wording means that the Law now applies to EVERY end.

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – See infographic attached.

Hopefully you will be aware of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that will become law on 25 May 2018. This is the biggest change in Data Protection law for 20 years and will be replacing the Data Protection Act (DPA). It represents a new approach to data protection legislation and brings greater protections for the public. Consumers and citizens will have stronger rights to be informed about how organisations use their personal data. They’ll have the right to request that personal data be deleted or removed if there’s no compelling reason for an organisation to carry on processing it and also how they give consent. There must be a positive opt-in – consent cannot be inferred from silence, pre-ticked boxes or inactivity. That is why all secretaries this year must fill in either Form 1 or Form 2 depending on whether or not there is a change in secretary.

National Championships

The nationals will be remembered for two major achievements. Pauline and Joe Beattie became the first husband and wife to contest singles finals in the same year but it was the achievement of Rachel Cochrane in becoming the youngest finalist and the youngest ever winner of the ladies singles. It was an astonishing victory for Rachel who is probably the youngest player to win a national title anywhere. It was arguably the best ladies final seen with both Rachel and Pauline Beattie playing exceptional bowls throughout the 15 ends with Rachel’s last bowl getting the second shot she needed to pull off an historic win. Pauline’s disappointment was to some extent lessened as husband Joe picked up the national singles title with a win over P J Gallagher. The all Oriel final saw a surprisingly comfortable victory for Michael Hand and Jim Fox over Kevin and Sean Conroy. The Triples went to the Stubbs who had a 2 shot win over Kyle Blakely. Colum McHugh picked up his 2nd rinks title with a comfortable win over the Morrison’s. The Ladies triples  saw a comfortable win for Lisa Richardson, Irene Dougles and Michelle Wright over Jean McKee while in the Ladies Pairs, Oriel’s Vera Mohan and Christine McSherry had a 3 shot win over Donegal’s Rachel McDonnell and Vanessa McHugh. The over 55’s title went to Terence Patton and Valerie Witherow defeating Paul Moffett and Lynda Lyttle. The two junior finals were outstanding games. The singles went to Devon Wallace with a last end win over Shane West while Nathan & Zoe Minish who had the narrowist feeler gauge win over Chloe Wilson & Lara Reaney.

World Bowls

Despite contesting 3 finals, success still eludes Ireland's representatives. In the singles Alan Paul  lost to J Payne of Belgium, in the pairs Kevin and Sean Conroy lost to J Hagen Sweden while in the rinks Andy  Leckey, Jonnie Wilson, Eddie Campbell and D J Wilson lost to S Willies England.  G McNabb and G Conroy took 3rd place in the pairs.

Inter Zone Finals

Oriel made it 3 wins in 4 years as they dominate the men's inter zone but it was not without a second half fright. Up 16 shots at the interval, the game looked to be all over but North West came back to within 5 shots thanks largely to Leigh Harrison's rink. The first half saw convincing wins for Gerry McCabe over Brian Rankin and Niall Hand over Adam Rankin with only Jamie Cochrane performong for North West in the 8 all with Sean Trainor. The second hald saw a determined North West putting pressure on the favourites with wins for Marty McNicholl over Kevin Conroy and Leigh Harrison over Paul Duff. Paddy Hanlon drew with Trevor McIntryre.

Winning Oriel Team

Zone Convenor Gerry O'Hare receives Boomer Cup from

IIBA President Mrs Flo McNally

Runners Up North West

Zone Convenor Coleen Cochrane receives runners up Cup from

IIBA President Mrs Flo McNally

LADIES FINAL

Winning Western Ladies

Zone Convenor Harold Nixon receives  Cup from

IIBA President Mrs Flo McNally

Runners Up North West Ladies

Zone Convenor Coleen Cochrane receives runners up Cup from

IIBA President Mrs Flo McNally

Plate Finals

Terry Mulholland with Plate Shield on behalf of Armagh Zone

Armagh team which defeated South Down in Plate Final

BRITISH ISLES CHAMPIONSHIPS

Click link for results (pics in gallery)

ZONE NEWS

Zones which wish to publish general information about developments / events in their area can be allocated a specific page on the site and contributions will be credited to those Convenors who forward it.

CHILD PROTECTION

Updated forms and information is in the Child Protection section .

Natalie Merrigan  representing the marketing department of the Galway Bay Hotel  with Seamus Kyne IIBA PRO.

Tournaments

Tournament resutts WILL NOT be published on the web site until the WINNER has returned the Champion of Champions form to the Competition Secretary. If details do not appear on the web site, winners will not have returned the form or if they have returned it and details do not appear on the web site, they MUST contact the Competition Secretary immediately. Only when the results appear on the web site will entry to the appropriate Champion of Champions competition be confirmed. Entries  can only be made for only ONE category.