Local man prepares for Celtic Challenge

Mr Nightingale will be joined by team mates John Hennessy and Gavin Walker to play 8 teams from Scotland and Wales along with 4 other teams representing Ireland.

Mr Nightingale has been involved in the sport since a chance encounter on a holiday to France in 1990.

“A group of locals invited me to play as they were a man short,” he explained.

“I didn’t really have a clue what I was doing but it is such a simple game anyone can be playing and enjoying themselves after a few minutes, although I’ve found it takes a lot longer to master” he said.

Pétanque, more commonly called ‘boules’, is played throughout the British Isles.

The concept of the game is similar to lawn or indoor bowls with points being awarded for resting your ‘boule’ closer to the ‘jack’ than your opponent.

The main difference is that Pétanque is not played on a mat or manicured lawn with wooden bowls, but on an area of fairly level ‘stony’ ground, with metal boules rolled or tossed to the jack.

Ireland have won the competition five times in the 22 years since it began and the team are hoping for a sixth win this year.

“We have a strong team and we have the home ground advantage this year so we should do well” said Mr Nightingale

The event will be hosted by North Down Pétanque Club and supported by North Down Borough Council, through it’s tourism event grant.

The competition will be officially opened on May 4 by the Mayor of North Down Councillor James McKerrow.