Alan Looney was the winner of the 2021 Autumn Bowl AC on Oct 24/25th, held in Carrickmines

The Autumn Bowl Tournament will be held on 24th and 25th October at Carrickmines.

This is an Open Tournament handicap event and all AC players are invited to enter. 10am to 5pm. Free entry.

Entries before 21st to Sandy. Full contact details on the following PDF.

Autumn Bowl Invitation

The winner of the 2021 South Leinster Open Championship on 4th/5th September was Andrew Johnston, who defeated Nathaniel Healy in the final. The competition was played over two days on the two lawns in Newcastle Co. Wicklow.

In the block play, Andrew, Nathaniel and Simon Williams all had 3 wins so the finalists were decided by Net Hoops. 

The Croquet Association of Ireland (CAI) has partnered with Sherry FitzGerald, Ireland's largest property advisory firm and NCC (National Chemical Company) a leading raw material and chemical sourcing specialist to create a significant women in sport collaboration for its upcoming International Women’s Challenge.
As part of the partnership, Sherry FitzGerald and NCC will become official partners of the CAI’s International Women’s Challenge which takes place between the 13 th and 15 th September. The three-day event will see the Irish Women’s Team take on their Spanish counterparts and will take place in Dublin across two clubs, Carrickmines Croquet & Lawn Tennis club and Herbert Park Croquet Club.

See full Press Release here.

The premier Irish Croquet Tournament of the year – The Croquet Championships of Ireland - was played at Carrickmines from 31 July to 7 August. Due to Covid there was only 1 overseas entry but nevertheless there was a strong overall entry of 36 players. There were 9 separate events in the Tournament, both singles and doubles, and catering for different handicap levels. The Tournament was superbly managed by debutant manager Alan Looney, the weather was mixed with the splendid new awning providing protection from sun and rain.

Day 7 and some thought-rich croquet on offer from the brightest stars in the croquet firmament. Every shot and ball placement is carefully considered and weighted to meet prior cognitive perception. Visualisation seems to work. Of course, Rhonda Byrne's Ask-Believe-Receive recycled concept made her a few quid off the back of The Secret. "If you will it, it is no dream" as Theodor Herzel put it in his State of Israel address over 100 years earlier.

Newsflash; Úna Walsh and Patsy Fitzgerald will contest the handicap doubles final on Saturday. Their only defeat in the 2 life draw thus far has come at the hands of a Greig/Allwright double act. They will meet again on Shabbat.

"This is what in Ireland we call a soft day". Sharpshooter Sandy's words to visiting hotshot Eugene Chang as the pair looked out onto sheets of rain which seemed to be blowing sideways across the lawns. Simon was out mowing lawn 3 as the competing players arrived for the 9 30am coin toss on Day 6.

Day 5 saw a feisty lawn 4 alternate shot doubles battle between the Geraldine O'Rourke Myles McWeeney pairing and an Allwright McGrath duo take place this morning. Mid-game and one of the quartet was deeply covetous of the win. They were overheard humming the Grease tune: "You are the one I want, you, you, you."

Chemicals saoiste (boss) Alan Looney's leadership style is one of compassionate capitalism. It comprises an empathetic culture with a popular profit-sharing scheme for staff. His 2017-2019 reign as Carrickmines Club President was one in which a sense of cothrom na féinne (fair play) pervaded. Members were kept in a constant state of heightened anticipation by impromptu *gushies of new tennis balls embossed with the face of Tennis Director, Pat Crowe, in the main club bar.