At last year’s Cork Summer Show there was persistent rain throughout the day and G&B added yet another Senior title to their tally.
It was all change at Day 2 of the 2017 National Outdoor Series at this years Cork Summer Show, with clear blue skies and 26 degree temperatures. G&B, last year’s champions in both of the days weights, were missing and in their absence Glenhill took their second ever Senior title in the 560kg. The 700kg competition was turned on its head at the semi final stage and Mountain View went on to also win a 2nd ever Senior Title for their club.

After the first 4 National Championship events, we have 4 different winners in the Senior division. Last year it looked like G&B were set to take up the mantel from Boley and Lakehill and dominate the Senior Division for the foreseeable future. Instead we have the most open National Series in many years.

For the second week running, the entire event ran very smoothly and was finished for 4pm. Huge credit for this must go to all the Continue reading →

G&B continued on from last years historic clean sweep of outdoor National titles when they took Gold in last Sunday’s 720kg National. But their unbeaten run came to an end in the days 2nd event, the 580kg competition, when The Shop won their 1st Senior National title to earn their place as the newest senior club in the country.

Ten clubs competed on the day – The Mighty Oaks, Loughmore, Castlegregory, G&B, Ballinastoe, Boley, Donoughmore, Glenhill, The Shop and Mountain View. This was the 1st event where the new individual weigh-in system was in operation. We would like to thank all clubs for their cooperation in helping this run smoothly while everyone gets used to the new system. Closing times for weigh-in and checking of ID cards was strictly enforced with the result that the 1st event started on schedule and the entire competition was finished by 5pm, despite their being 2 8-a-side events being ran back to back. As this is the format for all Outdoor National Championship days this year, we need the continued cooperation of all clubs with weigh-in times, to make sure all events run without delay.

In the days main event, the representing 720kg, 8 teams took part in one round robin group. Boley continued their rapid improvement in form from the National League to top the group with 20 points, after losing only 1 end to G&B. The gap between G&B and the chasing pack has narrowed from last year, with the reigning champions being held to 2nd place in the group, having lost to Boley and losing ends to Mountain View and Castlegregory. Ballinastoe finished 3rd in the group and Mountain View rounded out the semi final draw by finishing 4th. Both Ballinastoe and Mountain View opted out of the Division 2 final so that they could compete in the senior event.

Boley and G&B progressed to the final after Continue reading →

Round 2 of the National Outdoor League took place last Sunday at Piltown, Co. Kilkenny, hosted by the Mighty Oaks. The pulling area was on the lands of the Killdalton Collage Grounds which was a beautiful grounds with hutches along the side of it. The pulling  ground was also perfect and there was a good turn out of local support there also. In all, nine clubs attended and competed, they were – Mighty Oaks, Loughmore, Ballinagh, The Ridge, Ballinastoe, Slievenamon, Boley, Donoughmore, & Gort na Cloiche.

The above nine teams all took part in the Men’s Open 680kg which was held first. Boley did well only losing to Ballinastoe 2 ends to 1 and they took top spot with 22 points. Donoughmore were in second place on 21 points after only losing to Boley in straight ends, and Ballinastoe took the third place on 20 points by only losing to Donoughmore and losing one end to Boley. Gort na Cloiche were in fourth place on 15 points,  Ballinagh took 5th place with 12 points, the hosting club the Mighty Oaks took 6th place on 8 points, Loughmore in 7th place on 6 points, Slievenamon in 8th place on 4 points, and the Ridge in 8th place on zero points, so at the end of the pulling, the scores looked like this:

Boley – 22 points
Donoughmore – 21 points
Ballinastoe – 20 points
Gort na Cloiche – 15 points
Ballinagh – 12 points
Mighty Oaks – 8 points
Loughmore – 6 points
Slievenamon – 4 points
The Ridge – 0 points

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The 2017 National Outdoor season got underway last Sunday with the 1st round of the National League in Newtownforbes, Co. Longford, hosted well by the Gort Na Cloiche TOW Club.

15 clubs competed in total, including 4 from Northern Ireland. They were – G&B, Boley, The Shop, Glenhill, Castlegregory, Ballinastoe, Ballinagh, Gort na Cloiche, Mighty Oaks, Mountain View, B&K, Bancran, Richhill, Leo’s Boys and Greenhill. It was the first national outing for the brand new club the Mighty Oaks from Co. Kilkenny.

In the days opening competition, the Men’s Open 600kg, 12 teams took part in two groups of 6. Bancran and Greenhill were very strong in their respective groups, while G&B continued on from last year as one of the strongest teams in the Republic. At the end of the groups pulling, the scores looked like this:

ROPE 1
Bancran – 15 points
The Shop – 12 points
Boley – 7 points
Castlegregory – 6 points
Gort na Cloiche – 3 points
Ballinagh – 2 points

ROPE 2
Greenhill – 15 points
G & B – 12 points
Glenhill – 8 points
Ballinastoe – 7 points
Richill – 3 – 5 points
Mighty Oaks – 0 points

This means that Bancran and Greenhill are currently in pole position after taking maximum points. As it stands it is G&B and the consistently improving Shop who occupy the qualifying places for the 2 Irish teams to compete in the 600kg British & Irish Championship.

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The Individual Weigh-in will be in operation from Round 2 of the National Outdoor League on the 28th of May. From then on, there will be a change to the weigh-in and substitution procedure and all pullers looking to weigh-in for a competition will need to have a new affiliation I.D Card with them for every event. It is important that all clubs begin the process of getting these cards ASAP so that they have them back in time. All card information needs to be submitted at least 5 days before a competition, to allow enough time for the card to arrive in time. Pullers will not be able to weigh-in without their card. The new weigh-in and substitution procedures will be as follows:

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