Dundalk bowler retains national singles crown
Local indoor bowler Kevin Conroy, who plays out of the Redeemer Bowling Club in Dundalk, claimed his 3rd Irish National Singles title in Belfast.
And in doing so he became the 1st man to ever retain an Irish National title in consecutive years in any discipline of the sport (Singles, Pairs, Triples & Fours) since the competition began over 60 years ago.
It is a remarkable achievement considering Kevin only returned to bowling last April, after nearly a four and a half year absence to devote time to his family and kids.
He beat fellow Irish team colleague Gary McNabb from Mid Tyrone in what was a very close and high standard singles final from start to finish. One which produced bowls of the highest quality from both players.
Coming off the back of two tournament wins in the days leading up to finals, Gary was the man in form and the slight favourite going into this one.
The final was over 15 ends and Gary got off to the perfect start, racing into a 5-0 lead after two ends.
The Dundalk bowler finally settled into the match and got off the mark in end four, picking up a single shot. They both exchanged shots in the forthcoming ends and with the scores level at 8-8 halfway through, it was perfectly poised for a tense 2nd half of the match.
Conroy was proving too good for Gary though and he raced into an 11-8 lead. With the ends running out for McNabb, he was unable to answer Kevin's brilliance and claw back the deficit, meaning he eventually held on to win by 16-9 in one of the most top quality singles finals witnessed by spectators in years.
It is another trophy to add to his cabinet in a career which sees the Dundalk man as one of the most decorated players in the history of the game.
He now also qualifies for the Champion Of Champions tournament in October, and while highly regarded as one of the best players to ever lift a bowl, you wouldn't bet against him adding another win to his outstanding collection. He will surely be among the favourites.
Conroy also wanted to thank his fellow club members, friends and family for their support and kind gestures before and after the final.