Hundreds of older people from throughout Ireland are arriving in Mayo today to compete in and support Ireland’s first national indoor bowls tournament for the active retired.
The week-long tournament – which is taking place at the Breaffy Events Arena in Castlebar – has been organised by Active Retirement Ireland, the national representative body for the country’s 489 Active Retirement Associations.
More than 400 older people are attending the tournament, in which all competitors are aged over 55, with the majority well in their 70s. Playing in mixed teams of four, competitors will play up to 10 games each over the course of the week.
The tournament will culminate with a grand final on Thursday afternoon, in which the top two teams will battle it out for the Breaffy Cup, while teams who did not qualify for the Cup compete in a final for the Active Retirement Ireland Plate. The Breaffy Cup has been specially commissioned by the Lynch Hotel Group for the event.
According to Maureen Kavanagh, Chief Executive of Active Retirement Ireland, the National Bowls Tournament is not just a competitive sports event, but also presents an opportunity for older people to socialise with each other and take part in various leisure activities.
