BÓL Chumann’s international odyssey got the perfect send off when teams and officials were accorded a civic reception at Council Chambers in County Hall.
Mayor Cork County, Frank O’Flynn, welcomed everybody and had special mention for fellow Glanworth resident, team-coach and player Billy McAuliffe and for Seamus Sexton, the current European champion.
The County Mayor said he was delighted to see our indigenous sport of Road Bowling hold such a high profile among European sporting bodies. Its growth in popularity within the German, Dutch and Italian federations was evident in the high standards now being set for all Irish participants. He urged the Irish players to embrace the occasion and said there was no greater honour than to represent your country on the international stage.
Ból Chumann chair Willie Murphy expressed his sincere thanks to Cork County Council and to County Mayor O’Flynn and his officials for the honour bestowed. He said the support and good will shown to Ból Chumann and to those who promote the sport of bowling by the council authorities was warmly appreciated. Willie paid tribute to Castletownkenneigh Bowling Club who had facilitated the many trials and training sessions held at their venues.
There were words of encouragement and praise too from attending Cllrs Joe Carroll and Michael Looney who had proposed and seconded the civic reception and from Cllr Michael Creed, Macroom, who congratulated the Gaeltacht region on their promotion of bowling which was evident in the crowds attending week evening scores in his Clondrohid-Cill na Martra locality.
Most of the selected teams were in attendance for the civic reception and were the recipients of many compliments on donning their new European Championship sportswear sponsored by Dean and Young Electrical, Bantry, Tide Construction and Proto Mark Technologies.
