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ITBA 26th Annual National Senior Championships 2022 Schedule & Pattern

Having the 6.00 start on the Thursday and a second squad starting at 2.30 on the Friday, has allowed all the seniors  who entered, to play. Despite their difficulties with the the schedule being changed due to COVID restrictions in place at that point in time. 

The oil pattern is Route 66.

If you wish to practice on the pattern please ring Leisureplex Blanchardstown,  or email blanch@leisureplex.ie 24 hours in advance. Please ref. Nicola or Tracy when booking as the new staff may not be up to speed yet.

They will allow practice outside their busy times, leagues and weekends.

The full schedule is now available on the Seniors Forms & Documents page or by clicking here.

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ITBA Senior Touring League 2021/22 – Event 5 Results

With 36 bowlers on the lanes we had another good turnout for the 5th event of the season.  I would like to congratulate all the Finalists, who as you can see in the results below, provided some great scores and exciting close finishes in the Finals.

Ladies Winners – Mary Heffernan (Handicap) and Anita Watts (Scratch)

Mens Winners – Terry Bride (Handicap) and Paddy Dunne (Scratch)  

I would like to thank Grainne and her staff for hosting  a successful event despite staff shortfalls due to Covid.

Thanks also to the committee members for their tremendous effort to ensure the success  of the event.

Take care all of you,
Keep safe, Stay healthy,

Joe

Remember: You don’t stop bowling when you get older
                       You get older when you stop bowling

Next Event(s)

Annual Senior Championships 2022  – Leisureplex, Blanchardstown – 27th -30th January 2022 (Senior Touring League 2021/22 – Event 6).

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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

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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

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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

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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

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ITBA Senior Grand Prix 2020 (Completion delayed due to Covid) – Results

It’s been a long time coming but we were finally able to complete the Covid delayed 2020 Senior Grand Prix Great in Leisureplex Charlestown yesterday.

We would like to congratulate all the Seniors on making the Grand Prix, and congratulations to the winners.

Ladies Winners – Maeve O’Reilly (Handicap) and Anita Watts (Scratch)

Mens Winners – Jim Donagh (Handicap) and Tom Byrne (Scratch)  

It was a long day but very exciting with some very close head-to-head matches and 3 of the 4 finals coming down to the last game, which was great to see.

Our thanks go to Grainne, Peter and the team in Leisureplex Charlestown for their support in planning the event, on the day and in working with us to make sure the oil pattern selected would play as expected, and it did, thanks also to Brian. This was the first event of the season where the overall scoring returned to what we would expect normally.

The event did run over time, which is something we need to factor in for future events, but as one senior bowler remarked – we don’t play as quick as the young guys!!!

As I’ve said, there were a few hiccups that were down to me, lessons to be learnt, but it’s only when one is hands on, do you see the work it takes to run the seniors without a full team support network.

Thankfully some Seniors have offered to help. Which is a great relief and we will be in contact with them shortly.

Our thanks go to Yvonne, Theresa, and Tom for the work they have put in over the years. They truly deserve our thanks and appreciation.

Final results for all sections are available on the ITBA Web / Senior tab.

Full Round Robin head-to-head match results will be included in the Senior Newsletter update to follow.

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ITBA Senior Grand Prix 2019/20 – Qualifiers and Event Details

Congratulations to all the qualifiers for the Covid delayed Senior Grand Prix 2019/20.

We look forward to a great day in Leisureplex Charlestown on Sunday November 7th, see full details available on the Event notice (click here) .

Check-in times

Handicap – 08:30 to 08:50 – bowling starts 09:00 a.m.

Scratch – 11.00 to 11.20 – bowling starts 11.30 a.m.

If any qualifier feels, for any reason, they may be unable to participate in the Grand Prix, please make contact with Joe Ridgeway without delay to allow us to arrange a reserve with as much notice as possible.

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ITBA Senior Touring League 2021/22 – Event 2 Results

It’s hard to believe we’ve now played the first 2 events of the season, how time flies when you’re enjoying yourself as another 38 bowlers played in Leisureplex Coolock on Sunday.

The long lockdown still appears to be holding the scores down but this is far outweighed by the opportunity to get out to bowl and socialise.

Ladies Winners – Margaret McConkey (Handicap) and Anita Watts (Scratch)

Mens Winners – Jim Donagh ( Handicap) and Haulie Storan (Scratch)  

Full Event 2 results, updated Rankings and Grand Prix Standings available on the ITBA Web / Senior tab.

Next Event(s)

Senior Grand Prix Finals 2019/20  – Leisureplex, Charlestown – 7th November 2021  – List of qualifiers will be posted next week.