Rocks Jewellers Singles End of Season Finals 2020 – Results

An early 8:00 am check-in for bowlers in the first round, ready for the “Double Elimination” finals format in both Scratch and Handicap sections. 8 hours later at around 4:00 pm, 48 head-to-head matches completed (each match decided on – 2 games total pinfall) we were down to the Scratch and Handicap finals.

Paolo DiTofano had lost to Brian in the Winners section 3rd round by 421 to 370 and had fought his way back through the Losers section for the rematch. Paolo started strongly and remained in front throughout to take a 19 pin lead (210 -191) into the final game. Unable to maintain his form Paolo opened 3 frames (2 splits and a 9 miss) to post a 183 to Brian’s 217 (1 split) giving Brian the match and Handicap title by 408 to 393.

Karl Dryer just couldn’t get anything to go his way in the first game of the Scratch section Final and found himself 44 pins down (159 – 203) to Gareth. Game 2 was a different story, Gareth started with 4 strikes followed by a 9 miss, Karl started with 3 strikes and a split and then closed out the game 8 strikes in a row to post a 264 game. This meant Gareth had to close the 10th frame to win, which he did to score 226 and in doing forced the double elimination decider with a 429 win to Karl’s 423.

Karl continued to exert the pressure in the opening game with a 245 to Gareth’s 231 to take a 14 pin lead into the deciding game. An opening split for Karl, another in the 5th frame gave Gareth a 54 pin lead at halfway which was enough to carry him through to take the match with a 209 to Karl’s 169 and the Scratch title by 440 to Karl’s 414.

You can see how all the finalists fared throughout the day as all the results (Scratch & Handicap – Winners & Losers sections) and Prize-winners details by going to the http://www.bowlingforall.ie web Rocks results .

Our thanks go to Lorraine, Sarah, Sean and all the staff in Leisureplex Tallaght (& Stillorgan) for their support during the season and throughout the long Finals day, to John Dunne and Tim Dawson for the web support, posting our results and updates, to Emer, Jason for their continued support and involvement  throughout the extra-long season.

Thanks to Paddy Gibbons for the photo’s from the Finals day and also for putting together a memorable video from the day which can be played/downloaded from his link in the section below for a limited period.

The Last Rocks Jewellers Singles Grand Prix 19:12:2021

Thanks to the bowlers who have participated and supported the Rocks Jewellers Singles over the past 10 seasons, thank you for your kind words when we’ve talked at the last  2 qualifying events and again at the Finals on Sunday and your WhatsApp posts, they are very much appreciated. 

It’s been great to be involved from the start, to run an event that spans all age groups, genders and abilities and see so many bowlers at different levels improve and advance to higher levels in that time.

None of this would have been possible without the continued support of Victor Rock & all at Rocks Jewellers for their sponsorship of the Rocks Jewellers Singles event over the last 10 years.

Many of you have asked …… whats next ?

Our view  …… maintain the above coverage whatever the format is – its good for bowler development, social interaction and competitiveness.

Whether individually or combined it is down to You, the bowlers to get involved, put ideas foward you think will work, talk to Centres, Pro Shops, ITBA committees and potential sponsors to move those ideas forward.  

Signing out for the last time and wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Covid free New Year.



Tom & Barry

Rocks Jewellers Singles End of Season Finals 2020 – Results

An early 8:00 am check-in for bowlers in the first round, ready for the “Double Elimination” finals format in both Scratch and Handicap sections. 8 hours later at around 4:00 pm, 48 head-to-head matches completed (each match decided on – 2 games total pinfall) we were down to the Scratch and Handicap finals.

Paolo DiTofano had lost to Brian in the Winners section 3rd round by 421 to 370 and had fought his way back through the Losers section for the rematch. Paolo started strongly and remained in front throughout to take a 19 pin lead (210 -191) into the final game. Unable to maintain his form Paolo opened 3 frames (2 splits and a 9 miss) to post a 183 to Brian’s 217 (1 split) giving Brian the match and Handicap title by 408 to 393.

Karl Dryer just couldn’t get anything to go his way in the first game of the Scratch section Final and found himself 44 pins down (159 – 203) to Gareth. Game 2 was a different story, Gareth started with 4 strikes followed by a 9 miss, Karl started with 3 strikes and a split and then closed out the game 8 strikes in a row to post a 264 game. This meant Gareth had to close the 10th frame to win, which he did to score 226 and in doing forced the double elimination decider with a 429 win to Karl’s 423.

Karl continued to exert the pressure in the opening game with a 245 to Gareth’s 231 to take a 14 pin lead into the deciding game. An opening split for Karl, another in the 5th frame gave Gareth a 54 pin lead at halfway which was enough to carry him through to take the match with a 209 to Karl’s 169 and the Scratch title by 440 to Karl’s 414.

You can see how all the finalists fared throughout the day as all the results (Scratch & Handicap – Winners & Losers sections) and Prize-winners details by going to the http://www.bowlingforall.ie web Rocks results .

Our thanks go to Lorraine, Sarah, Sean and all the staff in Leisureplex Tallaght (& Stillorgan) for their support during the season and throughout the long Finals day, to John Dunne and Tim Dawson for the web support, posting our results and updates, to Emer, Jason for their continued support and involvement  throughout the extra-long season.

Thanks to Paddy Gibbons for the photo’s from the Finals day and also for putting together a memorable video from the day which can be played/downloaded from his link in the section below for a limited period.

The Last Rocks Jewellers Singles Grand Prix 19:12:2021

Thanks to the bowlers who have participated and supported the Rocks Jewellers Singles over the past 10 seasons, thank you for your kind words when we’ve talked at the last  2 qualifying events and again at the Finals on Sunday and your WhatsApp posts, they are very much appreciated. 

It’s been great to be involved from the start, to run an event that spans all age groups, genders and abilities and see so many bowlers at different levels improve and advance to higher levels in that time.

None of this would have been possible without the continued support of Victor Rock & all at Rocks Jewellers for their sponsorship of the Rocks Jewellers Singles event over the last 10 years.

Many of you have asked …… whats next ?

Our view  …… maintain the above coverage whatever the format is – its good for bowler development, social interaction and competitiveness.

Whether individually or combined it is down to You, the bowlers to get involved, put ideas foward you think will work, talk to Centres, Pro Shops, ITBA committees and potential sponsors to move those ideas forward.  

Signing out for the last time and wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Covid free New Year.



Tom & Barry

Rocks Jewellers Singles 2019/20 – Event 9 Results & Qualifiers for End of Season Finals

The final qualifying event for the Covid interrupted 2019/20 End-of Season Finals once again produced high scoring with 16 of the 28 bowlers ahead of par (200 Avg.).
 
Alan Bride led the qualifying in the Scratch section with a 1234 (246 Avg.), drawn against Mark Moore (1167) in a close first semi-final match, the win going to Mark who finished strongest by 246 to Alan’s 222. Junior bowler Sean Staines who is showing great form at the moment, qualified in 2nd place with 1210 (242 Avg.) but couldn’t maintain his early form against Jason Byrnes (1181) who eased into the by 237 to Sean’s 181.
 
The final was a bit lack lustre, Mark and Jason both struggling early on. Once again Mark closed out the stronger of the two to take the win by 191 to Jason’s 176.
 
Thomas Galvin (1251 incl. Hcp. – 233 Avg.) missed qualifying for the Scratch section by a 1 to lead Handicap qualifying, closely followed by another junior bowler Taylor Williams (2 handed style) on 1250, Ken Foley on 1247 and junior bowlers Abby McKeever on 1223 making her second final in a row. Both semi-finals went down to the last 2 frames with Abby striking out for a 226 to move on to the final against a 201for Thomas. Never more than a couple of pins separated the bowlers in the 2nd semi-final, with Taylor’s 232 giving him a 7 pin win against Ken’s 225.
 
The final here was another really tight match, Taylor leading early on, only to be pegged back in the latter stages. It looked all over for Abby when she failed to make a spare in the final frame but Taylor requiring a mark, left a split which he was unable to convert giving Abby the win by 238 to Taylor’s 232.

Congratulations to the winners of the last qualifying event of the season – Event 9, Mark Moore (Scratch Division) and Abby McKeever (Handicap Division) and all the finalists. 
 
Thanks to Sarah, Becky and all the Leisureplex staff who supported us so well on the day.

Full details from Event 9 are included in this update below and  will also be available on www.bowlingforall.ie on the Rocks Jewellers Tab/Results.

Congratulations to all the qualifiers for the 2020 End of Season Finals who are listed below. Our priority is to get confirmation from you that you are available for the Finals so we can complete preparations for the event

The 2020 End of Season Finals (Double Elimination Matchplay format) will be held on 19th December in Leisureplex, Tallaght.  Format for the Finals included for web here.

The provisional list of Scratch & Handicap Qualifiers for the Finals have been sent via Update email to all members and are included on the Standings sheets posted.

All qualifiers must confirm their availability for the Finals by return email to rocks@bowlingforall.ie , Rocks WhatsApp or Text to Tom Byrne.

More details including Oil Pattern, check-in times etc  will follow closer to the date, please make sure you check the web for up-to-date information on the Finals.
 
Stay safe

Barry, Tom & Victor

Next Event – 19th December 2021 – End of Season Finals

Rocks Jewellers Singles 2019/20 – Event 8 Results

31 bowlers, many playing their first event since the long Covid lockdown, were part of Irish bowling history on the Sunday 21st November in Leisureplex Tallaght when the Rocks Jewellers Singles hosted the first competitive event in the newly refurbished and ITBA sanctioned centre with Qubica/AMF Edge String pinspotter technology.

There was a great buzz to the event, many people meeting up for the first time in over 20 months and when the lanes came on, the scoring certainly didn’t disappoint.

Leading the qualifying in the Scratch section was Chris Sloan with a 1247 (249 Avg), Sean Dempsey was close by with 1232, followed by Sarah Kebble on 1184 and Karl Dryer making up the 4 finalists with 1158. Neither semi-final matches were close with Chris going on to the final by 276 to Karl’s 183 and Sean by 236 to Sarah’s 173. The final went down to the wire with Sean striking out for 215 to draw with Chris and force a one ball roll-off to determine the winner which saw Chris strike twice to take the match after Sean struck on the first ball and got 9 with his second.

Junior bowler Sean Staines who narrowly missed qualifying for the Scratch section led Handicap qualifying with 1298 incl Hcp (230 Avg), closely followed by another junior bowler Abby McKeever on 1277, Mark Moore 1224 and Peter Murphy 1209 to complete the semi-final line-ups. Once again both semi-finals were cut-and-dried with Sean defeating Peter by 294 to 238 and Mark’s 306 to Abby’s 249. The final here was another nip and tuck match with the lead changing throughout until Mark closed the match strongly to take the win by 266 to Sean’s 243.

Congratulations to the winners Chris Sloan (Scratch Division) and Mark Moore (Handicap Division) and all the finalists. 

It was great to see Lorraine, Sarah, Becky and all the Leisureplex staff who supported us so well on the day.

Full details from Event 8 will also be available on www.bowlingforall.ie on the Rocks Jewellers Tab/Results

Next Event – 5th December 2021

Government announcement on easing of Restrictions

On Friday May 28th the Government announced a further easing of Restrictions for June and July.

Key Highlights relating to sport and physical activity are summarised below.

From 7 June

  • Outdoor sports matches & competition can recommence.
  • The numbers permitted at organised outdoor events is a maximum of 100 for the majority of venues, with a maximum of 200 for outdoor venues with a minimum accredited capacity of 5,000.
  • Indoor facilities such as gyms, swimming pools, leisure centres and sports clubs can reopen for individual training. Sport Ireland has previously provided guidance to the sector on the delivery of individual indoor sport. This Guidance is reattached for convenience.
  • Swimming lessons and classes can also resume.

From 5 July (Subject to Public Health)

  • The numbers permitted at outdoor organised events can further increase to a maximum of 200 for the majority of venues, with a maximum of 500 for outdoor stadia/venues with a minimum accredited capacity of 5,000
  • Indoor sports training, exercise and dance activities can recommence in pods of up to 6
  • Additional indoor facilities such as bowling alleys, snooker halls, ice-skating/roller skating rinks and waterparks can reopen in line with appropriate sectoral guidance

Please find some additional information / reminders in relation to the resumption of sport and physical activity during the current June phase.

Outdoor Competition:

‘The numbers permitted at organised outdoor events is a maximum of 100 for the majority of venues, with a maximum of 200 for outdoor venues with a minimum accredited capacity of 5,000.’

These figures 100/200 relate to the number of spectators that will now be permitted to attend an event. These figures are independent of participants, officials and coaches.

Sport Ireland has previously distributed guidance to individual / non team sports in relation to delivering competition. NGBs are encouraged to continue to take a prudent approach to overall capacities in the initial return and are encouraged to discuss competition plans and needs with Sport Ireland.

Outdoor Training:

While the return to outdoor Competition can return, the Pods of 15 concept are still maintained for training purposes. In line with previous phases, multiple pods can be used during training sessions however these pods should not mix.

Indoor Individual Training Capacities:

Indoor training activity (no indoor Games, matches or competitions) is currently permitted.

Detailed Guidance on the return to Individual indoor Training specifically for NGBs and LSPs has been previously distributed by Sport Ireland and continues to apply.

The total numbers permitted in an indoor facility will be determined by the overall size of the venue.

When finalising capacity numbers sports should ensure that all relevant protocols in particular physical distancing can be fully implemented.

Other indoor leisure facilities, including gyms, are reopen for people to take part in individual exercise, including 1 to 1 training. It is important to note that indoor Group exercise classes are not permitted in those facilities at this point.

Managing Overall Capacities:

In addition to the gradual return to sporting activity, June & July will see a broader re-opening of society. Sporting Bodies should consider the return of multiple elements of activity such as competition, spectators, hospitality etc. at venues and plan accordingly.

Participation in Sporting Activity during COVID 19:

As with all activity during COVID 19 the return to training and competition should be on an opt-in basis, with participants taking personal responsibility to decide whether they are happy to return. It is important that participants are not be penalised if they wish to opt-out of activity.

Participants should be encouraged to communicate any concerns to their club and/or National Governing Body so that they can be addressed accordingly.

ITBA 2021 Annual General Meeting

The ITBA Executive wish to advise that due to current COVID-19 restrictions it has been deemed necessary to postpone the 2021 Annual General Meeting scheduled for April 27th 2021.

As soon as restrictions allow, the Executive will reschedule the meeting and advise all members.

Irish Open Championships 2021

The following communication from Leisureplex:

Hi Everyone!

It is with regret to inform you all of the Cancellation of the 2021 Irish Open Championships.

We have been holding out cancelling the Irish Open, with the hope of things getting better but with the uncertain times we are all living in, and the uncertainty around travel and all the restrictions that comes with it, we have been left with no choice.

The Irish Open has a massive following of loyal athletes and we can only thank you for your continued support!

We hope to run a local tournament in Dublin the normal week the Irish Open would normally be on, we will keep our local bowlers informed and if travel restrictions are somewhat lifted at that point it may be possible for some of our European Bowlers to join us! Fingers Crossed!

To finish on a positive note, The Irish Open will be back in January 2022!!

January just won’t be the same without you all! We will miss you!

Stay safe everyone!

Sean, Lorraine & Sarah ???

Roll on 2022!!!

ITBA COVID-19 Return To Sport Protocol

The ITBA in conjunction with Sport Ireland and Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport (DTTS) have finalised a protocol for the Return to Bowling.

ITBA COVID-19 Return To Sport Protocol

This document should be reviewed by all ITBA Members and adhered to with regard to all ITBA official sessions whether be Practice, Training or Competition as and when they are organised.

Other documents you will become familiar with when attending ITBA official sessions are as follows. These documents will by provided by your Sub-Committee COVID-19 Officer:

ITBA COVID-19 Registration Form

ITBA COVID-19 Officer Advice