Ards
Bowling Club History 1927 – Present
History photos can be found by clicking on link belowhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/pickie_bowls/sets/72157644774840386/
ARDS BOWLING CLUB
70 SOUTH STREET, NEWTOWNARDS, CO
DOWN, BT23 6JU
DATE OF FORMATION :- 1927
Lacrosse is
not a game the average bowler would know a great deal about. The skills for
which the game call for are completely different, whereas bowling is a
lot more leisurely.
Nevertheless,
Ards bowling club had its beginning as a section of Ards lacrosse club.
In the
twenties lacrosse was a popular game in Newtownards and records show that the
men had quite a successful team. There were also hockey and tennis sections of
the club equally successful .
Bowling was
first played at Ards on a strip of grass near the present green around
1927 and in 1929 the management committee of the lacrosse club give permission
for a new bowling green to be laid.
Bowling
members and friends subscribed to the effort, with the approximate cost being
£380. Well over 35 members and freinds contributed to this amount and it went
ahead. Although the majority of these pioneers have passed on, some of the
present members have played with or have links to these members.
In 1958 the
playing fields surrounding the bowling green were taking over by the education
authority and at this point Ards Lacrosse Club became Ards Bowling Club.
The
pavillion consisted of an old hut of 1914 – 1918 vintage and over the years it
soon became increasingly apparent that a new building was urgently needed.
A building
fund was set up in 1968 and a sum of £4,000 was raised, a figure which included
the sale of the old structure for £35. In March 1973 the new pavilion was
officially open by Margaret Spence.
This
advance meant that the club could have their own short mat bowling during the
winter and hold fund raising bowling tournaments. Thanks to the concerted work
of the management and the newly formed social committee all the clubs debts
were completely cleared.
All the
efforts were then focused towards purchasing ground from the Department of
Education and planning another clubhouse, a dream which consisted of the
provision of facilities that would be the equal, if not the envy, of those of
other clubs.
On May 9th
1985 the dream became a reality when Mrs Gretta Graham, wife of the Hon
Secretary officially opened the building. A ladies section was formed in
1966 Before and after it came into being, the ladies were a tremendous
asset in the clubs progress.
I B A
MEMBERSHIP:- 18TH MARCH 1931
HONOURS
The IBA singles was won by W
Curragh in 1973 and the NIPGL singles in the same year.
In 1978 W J Thompson and J
Campbell were winners of the NIPGL pairs title
In 1984 the A team were runners
up in the NIPGL senior event and won the Castlereagh Cup.
P G L DIVISION 2 WINNERS 2003 2005
2014 2017 2019
I B A INTERMEDIATE CUP WINNERS (A) 2016 2017
P G L DIVISION 5 WINNERS 2017
I B A INTERMEDIATE CUP WINNERS (A) 2016 2017
P G L DIVISION 5 WINNERS 2017
P G L (B) DIVISION 2 WINNERS 1935 1986
2000
P G L JUNIOR CUP WINNERS 1933 1937
1991 2001 2017
P G L MIDWEEK LEAGUE WINNERS 2015 2016
P G L MIDWEEK CUP WINNERS 2014
P G L PRESIDENTS - 1950:- J BLACK
JP 1977:- J LOWRY 2015:- D MC CLOY
I B A PRESIDENTS - 2019:- David McCloy
I B A PRESIDENTS - 2019:- David McCloy
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEDSITE AT:-
ardsbowls.blogspot.co.uk
Ards bowling club had its beginnings as a section of the Lacrosse
club which was formed way back in 1892
Lacrosse is not a game the average bowler would know a great deal about. The skills for which the game call for are completely different, whereas bowling is a lot more leisurely.
Nevertheless, Ards bowling club had its beginning as a section of Ards lacrosse club.
In the twenties lacrosse was a popular game in Newtownards and records show that the men had quite a successful team. There were also hockey and tennis sections of the club equally successful .
Bowling was first played at Ards on a strip of grass near the present green around 1927 and in 1929 the management committee of the lacrosse club give permission for a newbowling
green
Bowling members and friends subscribed to the effort, with the approximate cost being £380. Well over 35 members and freinds contributed to this amount and it went ahead. Although the majority of these pioneers have passed on, some of the present members have played with or have links to these members.
 |
| Ards Lacrosse Team -1892 |
Lacrosse is not a game the average bowler would know a great deal about. The skills for which the game call for are completely different, whereas bowling is a lot more leisurely.
Nevertheless, Ards bowling club had its beginning as a section of Ards lacrosse club.
In the twenties lacrosse was a popular game in Newtownards and records show that the men had quite a successful team. There were also hockey and tennis sections of the club equally successful .
Bowling was first played at Ards on a strip of grass near the present green around 1927 and in 1929 the management committee of the lacrosse club give permission for a new
Bowling members and friends subscribed to the effort, with the approximate cost being £380. Well over 35 members and freinds contributed to this amount and it went ahead. Although the majority of these pioneers have passed on, some of the present members have played with or have links to these members.
In 1958 the playing fields surrounding the bowling green
The pavillion consisted of an old hut of 1914 – 1918 vintage and over the years it soon became increasingly apparent that a new building was urgently needed.
The pavillion consisted of an old hut of 1914 – 1918 vintage and over the years it soon became increasingly apparent that a new building was urgently needed.
A building fund was set up in 1968 and a sum of £4,000 was raised, a figure which included the sale of the old structure for £35. In March 1973 the new pavilion was officially open by Margaret Spence.
All the efforts were
then focused towards purchasing ground from the Department of Education and planning
another clubhouse, a dream which consisted of the provision of facilities that
would be the equal, if not the envy, of those of other clubs.
On May 9th 1985 the dream became a reality when Mrs Gretta Graham, wife of the Hon Secretary officially opened the building. A ladies section was formed in 1966 Before and after it came into being, the ladies were a tremendous asset in the clubs progress.
A formidable list of honours have come the club's way down the years:-
1933 and 1935 Ards won the Junior NIPGL
On May 9th 1985 the dream became a reality when Mrs Gretta Graham, wife of the Hon Secretary officially opened the building. A ladies section was formed in 1966 Before and after it came into being, the ladies were a tremendous asset in the clubs progress.
A formidable list of honours have come the club's way down the years:-
1933 and 1935 Ards won the Junior NIPGL
The Junior cup in 1933, 1937 and 1940
In 1978 W J Thompson and J Campbell were winners of the NIPGL pairs title
In 1984 the A team were runners up in the NIPGL senior event and won the Castlereagh Cup.
2014 The A team won PGL Senior Division Two to gain promotion into division One
Years may have passed since Ards Bowling Club came into being as an off-shoot of the Lacrosse club.
Lacrosse may be a thing of the past, but the foundations laid by those involved were indeed firmly laid by that very ambitious move .
