Bowling struggles to unlock funding as hurdles set too high

Sport Ireland would say, there’s money for bowling too, you just need to apply. That is true. But if you don’t have the professional people to write proposals you are already on the back foot. L

Wed, 29 Oct, 2025 - 06:57

Seamus O’Tuama

HERE was much excitement in sporting circles when the government announced a record €230 million in support of Irish sport in the recent budget.

It is unparalleled good news. Sport generates so many positives from the local to the global.

When an Irish person wins in any international event, we all get a boost. When our local or national team wins, it doesn’t matter what sport, we all get a lift.

Then there are all the health and wellness benefits too. Sport is good for children and it’s good for older people. Elite or leisure, everyone wins. Well
almost everyone wins, or maybe it would be better to say some win more than others.

This has become a growing frustration for the people embedded in Irish road bowling.

In 2025 bowling has received unparalleled international and national notice. The sport can’t keep up with all the good news. Mostly it can’t keep up, because it is a totally volunteer-led. It has not one professional person, not one development officer or coach.

Last year it got €50,000 from Sport Ireland to run the entire show, the coaching for children, schools, unlimited bowling, women in sport, team events, internationals, championships, everything.

Bowling fans are delighted when the FAI gets €3m League of Ireland academies. They know that money will be multiplied manyfold and benefit communities all over the country. Many of the kids in those academies play bowling too.

They are thrilled the GAA is getting €750,000 to grow hurling. Bowlers love hurling, like they love soccer, rugby, basketball and every other sport under the sun. But they scratch their heads and ask why don’t we get anything to grow bowling.

Sport Ireland would say, there’s money for bowling too, you just need to apply.

That is true. But if you don’t have the professional people to write proposals you are already on the back foot. Last year Ireland had the best youth boys ever at the European championships. Sport Ireland didn’t give a cent towards preparing that team, for their equipment, travel or anything else.

Other smaller sports in Ireland are probably in a similar situation. It’s not the fault of the GAA, the FAI, the IRFU or any other sporting body. The problem lies in the hurdles being set too high for the smaller folk.

If national policy is about having people involved in sport, then the policy needs to include genuine capacity building to get onto the very first step. Bowling has the wind at its back, the tide rising and an ocean of goodwill. But it does not have the capacity to unlock government funding.

There’s €73m for community sporting facilities, there’s €31.3m for national governing bodies and local sports partnerships, there’s €27m for high performance athletes and a lot more pots of money.

Of that €131.1m it is highly unlikely that a single euro will go to bowling.

In Fenor on Saturday, the local club was ticking so many boxes for community-level sport, inclusion of all the community and some elite bowling too.

Munster senior champion Hannah Sexton teamed up with Martin Coppinger to defeat Gary Daly and Denise Murphy in the feature event. They raised a bowl of odds after five to the Copper Coast farm. They still had a bowl at Cowman’s cottage and they held that to the line.

Tom O’Donovan is Munster Vintage C (over-60) champion. He held off a late-late challenge to beat John Twohig in the last shot, with DD Carroll in third place in the final at Timoleague.

O’Donovan was a bowl in front after two, with Carroll second and Twohig third. Twohig relegated Carroll to third place in the following exchanges, but made little dent on O’Donovan’s lead. At Barry’s Hall O’Donovan was still leading Twohig by almost a bowl, with Carroll two behind.

He went two clear of Twohig and three on Carroll at the monument.
Twohig was brilliant from there. He played three massive bowls in succession to get in for a last shot.

In the benefit weekend at Derrinsafa, Timmy McDonagh beat Paul Buckley by almost a bowl. He got the upper hand in the shots to Ross’.

Buckley looked to be getting back into it after a big shot to Cotter’s cross. He failed to open the Darkwood turn and McDonagh went out to regain
control.

Cillian Kelleher had similar odds on Anthony Crowley at the same venue. Kelleher’s big bowl to Grady’s broke the deadlock in that one.

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