Big turnout for Ballyvally 'bluebell' tournament

After the January fog, the snow of February and the freezing cold of March, it was great to get two fine days for the British record Status FITA competition. This year even the bluebells were out in full bloom at the right weekend. Two British records were broken by Ballyvally’s club members Morgan Russell-Cowan and Robert Mallon. Ten FITA arrowheads [International awards] were claimed, three of which went to club members Damien Lennon and Eddie McClean. Eight Northern Ireland records were also claimed by club members.

CLASS WINNERS:

In the cubs classes, the winners were Luke McConnell [boy barebow]; Natasha Thompson [girl barebow]; Aaron McConnell

[barebow]; Michael Patterson [barebow]; Emma Leeper [girl compound]; and Mark Hamilton [boy compound].

In the junior section, winners were Dean Hamilton [boy compound]; Shannon Russell-Cowan [girl traditional]; Matthew Gilmore [boy traditional].

In the senior beginners section, Ruth Gilmour [lady beginner barebow] and Adrian Monteith [gent barebow] shot well and in the more experienced section, Joanne Walker won the ladies barebow ahead of Marion Patterson [Ballyvally] and Niamh Bhreathnach [Galway]. Lisa McConnell put in a good score to come 4th.

In the mens barebow. Robert Mallon won with an excellent 662 ahead of Rohan O’Duill [Wicklow] and Gilbert McClelland [Banbridge]. Bernie scullion won the ladies compound barebow for Ballyvally and Andrea Hamilton and Damien Lennon did the same for Ballyvally in the senior traditional class.

Banbridge archer Mark Nesbitt sixth in European Championships.

Ballyvally Archer Mark Nesbitt finished sixth in the European Senior Championships last Thursday, defeating European championships on his way to the quarter finals, where he lost out to an Italian archer in a sudden death shoot-out. Mark finished just one place behind the current Olympic champion, who finished fifth. This was his first ever Senior event, competing as part of the British team, and he is still eligible to compete as a Junior.

BALLYVALLY INVITATION

Ballyvally Archery Club, which organises up to 10 sessions per week in the local leisure Centre and which is the biggest archery club in GB, would like to invite anyone interested in this ancient sport to come and have a go with the club.

Archery sessions start each Wednesday at 3.30pm and continue until 8.30pm. On Thursdays, the sessions start again at 3.30pm and finish when the leisure centre closes at 10.30. All coaching and equipment is provided by the club and as Ballyvally is very much a family club there is equipment to suit all ages. The Junior section of the club, which was voted “ Club of the year” at Banbridge Council’s recent Sports’ Awards, has as its youngest members cubs of four years of age and the senior club’s membership extends all the way through the older teenagers and adults to archers in their 80’s.

As well as organising indoor archery, the club also has an outdoor wooded venue for the ‘real’ archers and in 2011 has been chosen by the British Archer Association [GNAS] to host the British open in May of that year. Such is the reputation of the club that 2011 will be the third time the club has organised this prestigious event.

The club also organises trips away to championships and members have just returned from Kendal in England and will shortly be on their way to Wales and Norway. There are currently three members on the Great Britain Team to shoot in the World Field archery Championships in Hungary. The club teaches all seven styles of shooting and does all types of archery for Indoor target to archery darts, from Big Game to 3”D” and from Clout to Novelty rounds.

Details of the current club practice and beginners’ sessions can be obtained by contacting club chairman, Mr Frank Mulligan on 028 406 23748.