Galway Active Retirement team takes 2nd place at National Bowls Competition

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Members of the Turloughmore bowls team from Co Galway compete against Co Kerry’s Kenmare Dolphins in the Active Retirement Ireland National Bowls Competition large bowls plate final in Killarney on Thursday. Photo credit: Don MacMonagle

Members of the Turloughmore 1 Active Retirement bowls team have taken home one of the top prizes at the 2023 Active Retirement Ireland National Indoor Mats Bowling Competition in Kerry this week.

Turloughmore 1 team members Catherine Woods, John O’Donovan, Billy Woods and skip John Ridge were presented with the 2023 large bowls plate runners-up prize by Active Retirement Ireland National President Kevin Monaghan and Mayor of Killarney Cllr Brendan Cronin.

Over three days, 63 Active Retirement teams from across the country competed for the 2023 Active Retirement Ireland Cup in indoor mat bowls at the organisation’s 11th annual flagship event.

Speaking at the awards presentation, Active Retirement Ireland CEO Maureen Kavanagh congratulated Turloughmore 1 on their ‘fantastic achievement’.

“The 252 bowlers who have competed for the cup this week, alongside our volunteers who helped deliver the event, confirm the drive and desire of older people to do things for themselves, maintain social connections and be a part of life,” she said.

“Social events like the National Bowls Competition, where older people can get together, be active and enjoy a little healthy competition and camaraderie, are vital for positive ageing.

“We are grateful for the generous support of our event host the Gleneagle for making this event possible for so many of our members and for their recognition of the contribution that older people make.”

Maureen Kavanagh said that older people don’t want things done for them, and that they want to be active in their own lives.

“It’s time the Government instituted and implemented a comprehensive, whole-of-government positive ageing framework in Ireland, including an adequate state pension benchmarked against average earnings, so that they can.”

Galway Daily