IPA Provincial Doubles ‘24
Leinster
Munster
Ulster / Connacht
IPA Provincials Doubles ‘24
Last weekend saw the provincial doubles take place in all Provinces. With the country basking in sunshine, It made for beautiful playing conditions nationally.
Cavan pétanque Club hosted the Ulster / Connacht tournament, Frankfield hosted the Munsters, While Marlay park hosted the Leinsters.
33 teams participated throughout the country, which is a record number. The availability of pistes around Ireland is proving to be very beneficial, and is also reflective of the demand for competitions nationally.
Thanks to the petanque clubs from Marlay park, Cavan, & Frankfield for hosting the events, and a huge appreciation to the tournament organisers, Sylver Breteche, Jimmy Di Fusco, and Roberto Caira. It is never easy to organise and participate at the same time.
Ulster / Connacht
11 teams played in Cavan. A six round swiss system was run, using a bye in each round. To give everyone the opportunity to play 5 matches, 6 rounds were played. The top 4 teams reached the semifinals and finals.
The playing standards were high with reports of cochonnets being shot from 10 meters away, carreaus abound, and tight pointing resulting in some masterclass play.
Chatting with Billy after the tournament, he stated,
‘What a day we had , sunshine, laughs and great play. I have never seen as good. Franck was shooting 10m jacks , Sylver played a master class and Niam and Ali just didn’t give up and won the competition. The standard was unreal and I was proud to be part of it’
The results were as follows:
1st place Niam Choolun & Nasirally (Ali) Choolun
2nd place Sylver and Franck Breteche
3rd place JP O’ Reilly & Jeremy Simpson
4th place Carl Stuart & John Carruthers
Finalists Franck, Sylver V Niam & Ali
Winners Niam & Ali
Runners Up Franck, Sylver
Leinster
The Provincial Doubles in Leinster took place on the -Pistes- of a very sunny and warm Marlay Park. Two, drawn on the day, groups of teams battled it out against each other in a five game stage process ,with the top two teams from each group advancing to semifinals.
There were plenty of notable performances which on any other day would have been worthy of better outcomes that are worth a mention. In group A,
"Bayside Boules" duo Ciaran Walsh and teammate Dirk Starz brought their North Dublin game to the table with a couple of wins, whilst PPC's Sujeet Roopchand and Suttyanand (Vikash) Luchoo sat pretty for a while but couldn't advance on their 3 wins. Whereas 'Team Ireland' captain Colin Delaney and Kévin Meniel qualified in fifth place overall with 3 wins and points difference for a place in the National Doubles final.
Group B saw a duo debut for "Marley Park P.C" 's of Alan Balfe and Finbarr O'Driscoll, also in charge of setting up on the day , and the only two mixed doubles teams of Christy Nolan with Kathleen Fay plus Johnny Kelly with Mary Donohoe from PPC.
Both semifinals pitched 1st and 2nd respectively against each other which saw Davendra (Vik) Dabeedoal and teammate Randeea ( Papo) Nundram face the in-form Sariff Antooaroo and Stéphane Voinot, all from the 'Park Pétanque Club', with the latter producing an 11-3 timed win to take their place in the final.
The other semifinal was a similar affair which saw the return to form of duo Terry Greene (PPC) and Vincent Belingard (Griffeen Valley P.C) against stalwart John Wixted and teammate Orlando Nino (both also PPC). The aforementioned duo of Terry and Vincent outshone with a 13-2 win, to take a well deserved place in the Final , where the relentless Sariff and Stéphane lay in waiting, ready to overwhelm their opponents, which was indeed the case by 13-1.
Our congratulations to Sariff and Stéphane for their success , and also to the runner's up Terry and Vincent.
Well done to all who participated and a big thank you again to those involved in the set-up and running of the day. Well will all be back again soon for more .
The results were as follows:
1st place Stéphane Voinot & Sariff Antooaroo
2nd place Terry Greene & Vincent Belengard
3rd place Davendra (Vik) Dabeedoal & Randeea ( Papo) Nundram
4th place John Wixted & Orlando Nino
5th place Colin Delaney & Kévin Meniel
Semifinalists John, Orlando, Terry & Vincent
Semifinalists Stephane, Sariff, Vic & Papo
Winners Sariff & Stephane With organiser Roberto
Runners Up Vincent (L) & Terry (R) with organiser Roberto
Munster
Frankfield played host to the Munster event, with Jimmy Di Fusco doing an amazing job doing all the tournament organising. Jimmy ran a 5 round swiss system, followed by a semifinals and finals for the top 4 teams from the 5 rounds. He used the Challonge.com software again for the event, which resulted in very competitive matches along the way.
Cork was smothered in sunshine for the day, resulting in a few heads getting a little sun burned, but it didn’t distract from the high standard of play.
Teams came from Cork, Cahir, Waterford and the newly established cork club the Rebels.
A total of 12 teams participated from the original 14 teams that registered.
The duo Vikings, Tom and Yann dominated the first 5 rounds winning all their matches, but as the day progressed the Fatigue got the better of the Vikings and the semifinals saw a sweet revenge performance from Odran and Eamon the Frankfield locals, defeating Tom and Yann 13-12.
Odran & Eamon progressed to the final to be beaten by the French pairing of Philipe and Romain, who proved too strong winning out in the end.
Tom and Yaan were up against another local team of Edith and Connor, winning the 3rd place position.
The results from the Munster Doubles were as follows;
1st Place Romain Beretti & Philipe Udron (Frankfield PC)
2nd Place Odran O Riain & Eamon Pike (Frankfield PC)
3rd Place Tom Mc Phillips & (Yaan) Ganeshen Nallan (Waterford PC)
4th Place Connor Smith & Edith Browne (Frankfield PC)
5th Place Beatrice Berclaz & Pat Power (Waterford PC)
6th Place Rene Di Fusco & Olivier Chedhomme
Connor, Edith, Odran & Eamon are not available to participate in the national finals meaning Beatrice & Pat progress, along with Rene and Olivier
All participants during the pre tournament announcements chat
Jimmy Di Fusco Presenting the trophy to the winners Romain & Philipe
Winners & Runners up Eamon (L) Romain, Philipe & Odran (R)
The top 4 finishing teams
Leinster Provincial Singles ‘24
Leinster singles participants in Marlay Park, Dublin
Leinster Singles IPA singles Qualifiers
The 2024 Provincial Singles in Leinster took place on the pistes of Marley Park this year on a pleasant Saturday, 23rd of March.
The high number of entries made for a very competitive day, and a little more demanding for those who qualified from their respective groups to the knock-out stages.
Nevertheless, the highest of standards was very much on display throughout the day which, it was observed, seemed to also attract a welcomed gathering of surprised spectators. There were notable players absent who unfortunately were not available to participate for this particular event but will feature in the upcoming Provincial Doubles and Trebles in bid to qualify for the respective National events.
On the day, two groups of ten players played a set of five randomly selected opponents in timed games, and the top four from each group, selected by way of game wins and + points, qualified for the quarter finals which brought about some closely contested results. Our Congratulations go to PPC club president Pat Morgan and the infamous Sariff Antooaroo also from Park Pétanque Club for making it to the final , at the expense of semi finalists Vikash( Luchoo S) and Stéphane Voinot (who earlier had to come from behind in a hotly contested quarter final to pip the emerging PPC's Roberto Caira to the post).
The eventual honors went to Sariff who brushed Pat aside as if he had been saving himself all day for the opportunity, which was all taken in the accustomed nature.
All the above mentioned have qualified as the top five for the Upcoming Nationals (5th place having been selected firstly from points difference in the quarter final , and then total games won).
Our sincerest of gratitude to all players who partook, the good folks from Marley Pétanque who hosted and those who helped set up on the day. Not forgetting , a huge 'Thank you' to those that ensured it all ran smoothly.
The Final results were as follows:
1. Sariff Antooaroo
2. Pat Morgan
3. Luchoo S.-Vikash
4. Stéphane Voinot
5. Roberto Caira
Pat Morgan being presented with the silver medal by Roberto Caira (IPA regional rep.)
Sariff Antooaroo being presented with the 1st place trophy by Roberto Caira
Munster Provincial Singles ‘24
Munster Singles IPA singles Qualifiers
The Munster singles were held on 23rd March last, in Frankfield, Cork. With 21 players registered (the largest registered number of players for a provincial qualifier) it was set to be a competitive day.
With a few late cancellations, 18 players battled for the top 4 spots, to qualify from Munster, to the All Ireland finals. 5 rounds were played, with a semifinal, final, and third place playoff.
Jimmy Di Fusco, the recently appointed IPA Munster rep. did a fantastic job arranging the tournament. For the first time ever, he used a software program to run a Swiss system, and it worked incredibly well, selecting similar players with similar wins against each other, resulting in a very competitive and fair competition.
A seeding points system was introduced by the IPA awarding 4, 3, 2, and 1 point to the top 4 places. More details about the points system will be published later.
A big thank you goes to all participants, organizers and in particular Frankfield Petanque club for allowing the competition take place on their pistes.
Munster singles prize winners
(L to R) Ollivier Chedhomme 3rd, Tom Mc Phillips 1st, Cathal Boyle 2nd Patricia Murry 4th
Tom Mc Phillips in action in the final
Final standings for all participants
Jimmy Di Fusco presenting Tom with the trophy
Top 4 place final standings with points difference
Trophy made by Robbie Brereton of Cavan Petanque Club
Petanque in Belfast City Centre
Belfast Telegraph’s Aine Toner, writes about the great game in Belfast’s Latin Quarter
Monday23rd October 2023
Northern Ireland fans of a French sport can now partake of a leisurely game in the middle of Belfast city centre.
Linen Quarter Business Improvement District (LQ BID) recently installed a pétanque court at Blackstaff Square as part of ongoing efforts to regenerate and revitalise the area.
“In the last two years we have had a considerable degree of growth. That is possibly connected to Covid because pétanque was something people could do, as it’s played outside on gravel,” says Dawn Kirk, honorary secretary of the Irish Pétanque Association (IPA).
The aim of French boules, or pétanque, is to throw the heavy metal balls (boules) and position them as close to the small jack as you can. To play, a player must step onto the pitch and keep both feet on the ground when throwing their boule. Boules are thrown out of the back of your hand.
“People like myself who are involved with the IPA would be interested in playing competitions and national competitions,” says Dawn.
“There’s different levels of play. If you want to play at national level you can, but you can play for leisure or you can play in some of the many interclub tournaments that we have, which is a wee bit of competition. It’s fun and all you need to play is a set of boules which aren’t expensive.
The community has come a long way – from six clubs to 14, the majority based in Leinster. An incredibly accessible sport, it caters for all abilities and ages.
“It doesn’t matter who or what you are. You can play at any level, for a bit of fun,” explains Dawn. “It’s outdoor, it has a social side to it. You don’t have to be very physical; you’d have people with disabilities who can play because the objective of the game is that you just play on gravel and you just throw boules so there’s no restrictions physically for anybody being able to play, any age group can play”
A game of Petanque underway in Belfast
At the Linen Quarter Inter-Company Pétanque Tournament are winners, Navigator Blue, the LQ BID team and Dawn Kirk from the Irish Pétanque Association (in red T-shirt)
Is there an element of luck to perfecting pétanque?
“I believe there’s an element of luck in every sport,” admits Dawn. “At the level we play, certainly there is an element of luck in it but it’s a good thing about the game because that means that everybody can get that lucky start in the game.
“Sometimes you play a shot you don’t really mean to but it can work out really well. But I feel that adds to the game because everybody can get a lucky shot. But obviously the higher up you go, the less luck comes into it and it becomes more and more skillful. If you’re planning the World Championships, there’s no luck, it’s all skill,” she laughs.
The association hopes to build a youth club and attract younger players
“One of the things I was reading on developing sport among young people is how many young people, in their sort of late teens and early 20s, how they give up sport and particularly young women, because of part-time jobs, or maybe university or training for a job, or because they just can’t fit it in,” says Dawn.
“Then they miss out on the sort of social side and the mindfulness, as well as being out in the air and a bit of physical activity, whereas pétanque is something that they can do anytime.”
A recent petanque competition in Downpatrick where Dawn came second, with Carl Stuart (centre), chairperson of Ormeau Pétanque Club who came first, and Frank Brétéché, a pétanque player from Downpatrick who came third
Dawn Kirk and her son Ronan at the rugby
While having a pétanque court in Belfast city centre is one way of attracting new and more experienced players, the association hopes to establish a competition venue in Northern Ireland.
“The only bad thing about pétanque is because it’s outdoor, come this time of year, it’s dependent on weather. On the continent they have the luxury of what they call indoor bouledromes, that would be our dream,” says Dawn.
"Since 2021, we have completed a number of interventions on and around Blackstaff Square to improve its appearance, reduce disruptive behaviour, and promote the Square as a vibrant destination in its own right,” adds Chris McCracken, managing director of LQ BID.
“Part of this included the installation of the pétanque court — our thoughts in doing so were rooted in providing people living and working in the area with a common area to come together. This simple pétanque court proves that by thinking imaginatively, we can restore vitality and transform a semi-derelict area into an iconic plaza and social space.
“Enhanced greenery, pedestrianisation and defined outdoor spaces such as Flaxx (a new outdoor market in the Linen Quarter) all improve the aesthetic in support of increased footfall for businesses.”
CELTIC CHALLENGE QUALIFIERS
The CC qualifiers in Marlay Park produced some tight games and a high standard of play, to find the team to represent Ireland in next years Celtic Challenge competition in Wales.
on the 9th September Last, the Celtic challenge qualifiers took place, with many clubs from all over Ireland represented. Many teams were first time partners, and others were seasoned greats, having to play 6 rounds of intense competition. It was a scorching day, but both players and spectators enjoyed the high standard of play.
The grounds were brilliantly presented by Marlay Park, and it was very well organised.
Commiserations to those who didn’t make the national team on this occasion, and congratulation to those who did.
the 2024 IRISH CELTIC CHALLENGE TEAM to travel to Wales next May.
#1. Kevin, Stephane, Sariff & Colin
#2. Des, Davy & Benji
#3. Randeea, Ashok, Rishi & Sujeet
#4. Vikash, Ramke & Roberto
Photo of all participants at this years Celtic Challenge Qualifiers
IRISH REPRESENTATION IN ITALY
Roberto & Sariff from Bushy Park, go to Italy to rub shoulders with the great Diego Rizzi
The Dublin boys were kindly invited to participate in an international memorial weekend , by club president , secretary, and parents of Lorenzo Carassale, Roberto and Patrizia, from the A.S.D G.Biancheri Muller club , last September in BORDIGHERA, Italy .
Roberto and Sariff experienced wonderful hospitality, and witnessed some very high quality of teams and players that attended (including World champions, internationals and the "A" list of Italian, French, Catalans, and Monégasques) , while also establishing friendships and connections.
The tournament this year was dominated by the FCP team (Ferderació Catalana de Petanca) who won the Trebles final on Saturday and were runners-up in the doubles final on Sunday against very strong French opposition on both occasions.
The level of play throughout the entire tournament was outstanding and a testament to the quality of players that turned out for such a worthy occasion for the CARASSALE family, who put a lot of work and effort into ensuring its success.
Roberto said,
“it was an unforgettable event and many thanks all around. As a thank you on our behalf , both the club and parents of "Lorenzo" were presented with pieces of Dublin Crystal , it's the least we could have done ! Oh, and needless to say, the weekend ended with empty bottles of Irish Whiskey that were also brought along for the occasion” Roberto went on to mention meeting the brilliant , Diego Rizzi (who participated on Saturday and then had to make rapid preparations to travel to "Arènes de Lunel /Final Four" where he and his phenomenal team mates , Dylan Rocher , Stephane Robineau and Jean Feltain of Frejus International Pétanque , won the grand final to become the MASTERS for 2023 ! Champions Superb.) !
Photos of Roberto and Sariff with players and guests of the event
FRANKFIELD PETANQUE CLUB HOLDS A CORKER OF AN EVENT AT THE ANNUAL BOULES BLITZ
Frankfield Petanque Club thanks their sponsors for their support in running the Boules Blitz
The Annual Boules Blitz in Frankfield Petanque Club held last weekend 26th & 27th August ‘23 was a roaring success.
19 teams participated in this years Blitz tournament, with teams coming from all over the country to participate. It was particularly exciting to see the return of a team from Bath Petanque Club (UK) who travel every year to take part.
The event was very well organised by members of Frankfield petanque Club, who were tremendously hospitable, providing great direction, tournament management, food, drinks, and all the trimmings to ensure everyone was well looked after.
The 2 day event, started promptly on Saturday morning with a luck of the draw selection to create 3 groups. The weather remained dry for the whole day, and at times, the sun shone with intensity.
Each team played 5 matches. This determined which category each team played in, on the Sunday. Matches were played in full, avoiding the dreaded 45 min. time limit, which resulted in high quality play, and tough competition.
The Saturday evening was spent been wined and dined at the home of Jim Ryan and family, who went to great lengths to provide a wonderful spread of food and drink for everyone. It was a wonderful social evening, allowing everyone to exchange petanque stories, and develop great friendships.
Sunday morning started out cold and wet, but thankfully the weather Gods were kind, and brought out the sunshine, to allow for a dry afternoon. Three competitions were on the cards, The premier Frankfield Competition, The Secondary Summerhill Competition, and the Tertiary Toonbridge Competion. 5 matches were played in each, with 6 matches for the Toonbridge event.
The Premier competition comprised of teams from Dublin, Waterford and Cork, With Stephane & Sariff from Bushy Park Petanque Club, Dublin, taking top place. Waterford Petanque Clubs’ Beatrice & Yaan, taking second place, while Tom & Anton from Waterford pushed out the host team of Cathal & Fred for third place.
The Secondary Summerhill Competition saw a few surprises, with Martin and Christy (Belturbet Petanque Club, Cavan) taking the coveted trophy, while Waterfords’ Jimmy and Chloe, took second place. Third place was taken by Ann & Mary from Bath Petanque Club, giving them a challenge of brining home a large hamper back to the UK.
The Toonbridge tournament was dominated by the hosts, with Romain & Phillippe taking top spot, & Odran & Jackie taking second place.
It was a tremendous weekend of boules with lots of fun on the pistes, and some high standards of play. It was a very well organised weekend, and a huge thank you goes to Frankfield Petanque Club for hosting the event.
Teams line up for a photoshoot during this years boules blitz
The Mauritians gather for a photo (L to R) Yaan, Vik, Papo, Yaness & Sariff
Action on the pistes
Stephane (L) & Sariff (R) winners of the Premier tournament
Martin (L) & Christy (R) winners of the Summerhill tournament, presented by Fred. (M).
Phillippe (L) & Romain (R) winners of the Toonbridge tournament, presented by Fred. (M).
BAYSIDE BOULES VISITED CAVAN PETANQUE CLUB FOR A FRIENDLY ENCOUNTER
Tom Donnellan reports on his outing to Cavan;
Bayside Boules from North Dublin, following a long-standing invitation from Cavan Petanque Club, had a wonderful day of sociably competitive boules in Belturbet on Sunday 20th August. The bright, blustery weather was our saviour. We were prepared for rain but it never materialised. The Cavan group were so welcoming; providing lifts from the bus stop; creating 3 beautiful, bespoke trophies courtesy of Robbie (one of their members); plying us with tea/coffee and scones and sandwiches all day; marking and raking the pistes; running the competition etc. We had a group of 20 and to a person they were super complimentary of the hospitality of our hosts. We had the added surprise of meeting the upper echelons of the IPA with Billy Gleadell, currently President of the IPA and Cavan Petanque ambassador; Dawn Kirk, Hon. Sec. Of IPA and Sylver Breteché, Competition Secretary of the IPA, all present in a playing capacity. We hope to reciprocate when we have six pistes instead of our current four play areas.
Billy Gleadell reports from Belturbet;
Cavan played its last Home tournament on Sunday the 20th of August. 20 players from Bayside Pétanque in Dublin made the journey down to Belturbet, County Cavan. Cavan had 16 players so a mixture of doubles and trebles were played. We had a Special Guest star playing for Cavan, Sylver Breteché.
The tournament started around 1pm with two timed matches, we broke for lunch and drinks at around 3pm and then played another two matches after lunch. The sun was shining and the craic was mighty.
Cavan won the tournament overall but trophy’s were given to the players on both teams who scored the most points. Cavan most valuable player was Ian Gleadell and Bayside was Tom Donnellan a Special award was given to Dawn Kirk. The trophies were hand made by Robbie Brereton.
It was a great day and I look forward to meeting the Bayside team next year in Dublin.
lunch time comradery around the pistes
Sylver Breteche, Dawn Kirk & Billy Gleadell from the IPA
Sylver in action
Tom Donnellan receiving a trophy from Billy Gleadell
Bayside Boules Club members
Action on the Belturbet terrain
PETANQUE FEVER SPREADS IN BELFAST CITY CENTRE
Linen Quarter BID have continued to fan the flames of success of their first mini-tournament. During August and September, 16 organisations from across the Linen Quarter will compete in an inter-company tournament over various lunch-times for prizes that include Belfast City Centre giftcards, and £200 voucher for the Grand Central Hotel Observatory. Cara McVeigh - Relate NI's Fundraising Officer highlighted the value of the event for participants saying, 'Playing Petanque together has been a great way for us to put our values into practice, help support workplace relationships, and grow awareness of our work in a fun and active way.
We look forward to the growth and development of Petanque in Belfast City Centre.
Participants enjoying Pétanque at the Latin quarter in belfast
IPA DOUBLES ‘23 IN MARLAY PARK
On Saturday 12th August, Marlay Park Petanque Club held the national IPA doubles
The event was well organised by Marlay park club members, who presented a fantastic terrain, to the back drop of the Dublin mountains.
16 teams participated and travelled from the four corners of Ireland, to battle it out. The rain stayed away, allowing for a high spirited event, with a very high standard of play on the pistes.
Owen Kelleher and Sylver Breteche from the IPA were at hand for registration and umpiring, and as usual did a very professional job. Members of Marlay Park petanque club including chairman Eamon Carey were very welcoming and should be very proud of the beautifully presented pistes, and a well organised event.
Two groups were formed with each team playing five games in each group. The winners of the groups met in the semi finals.
From Group A emerged Kevin & Colin from Bushy Park, along with Rory and Tim also from Bushy Park, While in Group B emerged Des and David from Ormeau and Sarif & Stephan from Bushy park. It was a tight game between the Ormeau pair who pointed beautifully and the bushy park duo of Kevin & Colin, however it was kevin and Colin who progressed to the final.
In the other semi final between the Bushy park teams Sariff & Stephane versus Rory and Tim, the experience of Sariff and Co. dominated and saw them through to the final.
The all Bushy Park final was a show of brilliant pointing and tremendous shooting resulting in Kevin and Colin taking first place.
Congratulations to the winners and commiserations to Sariff & Stephane.
semifinalists: Des, Dave, Colin, Tim, Sarif, Stephane, Kevin & Rory.
Runners Up:
Stephane Voinot-Boudy & Sariff Antooaroo
Winners:
Colin Delaney & Kevin Meniel
FRIENDSHIPS FORGED AT FLAXX INTER-COMPANY TOURNAMENT
On Thursday 27th July, FLAXX at Linen Quarter Belfast held their first inter-company mini Petanque tournament.
The event was organised by Communications and Events Manager Stevie Maginn. Participants were offered complimentary wine and cheese, and given a set of boules. The Linen Quarter in Belfast is characterised by beautiful red brick buildings that were once used as Linen Warehouses.
The Petanque Court was installed as part of a regeneration project to boost footfall and reduce anti-social behaviour’. The area now includes key businesses and hotels.
Forty-seven individuals in total registered for the mini-tournament. The IPA were invited to be on hand to demonstrate and give pointers, and were represented by Dawn Kirk and Des Spratt. Paul Anthony from Falls also attended the event. Participants were split into two teams - Flaxx and Linen - and subsequently triples with two triples playing at any one time. Play ended in a draw, and after a nail-biting penalty shoot-out, Flaxx emerged the victors!
The event was a huge success. Following play, friendships were forged over wine and cheese. Further events have been planned, the possibility of organizing lunch time coaching sessions discussed, and also establishing a club. A big thank you to FLAXX, and here's to promoting Petanque in partnership with you.
Des Spratt & Dawn Kirk from the IPA giving some petanque pointers and interviewing some local participants
Stevie Maginn, events manager, talks about the success of the event and petanque in Belfast City Centre
Petanque in Ireland gets a feature on National TV’s Morning AM
Billy Gleadell, the president of the Irish Petanque Association, did us proud, when he was recently interviewed on Bastille Day, July 14th last, by morning AM to talk about petanque in Ireland.
Billy & the TV presenters, embraced the bad weather, and played a little game outside the Virgin Media Studio. While playing on grass, isn’t the ideal surface to play on, Billy demonstrated his pointing skills, and gave a little lesson on how to play petanque.
Well done Billy for taking the opportunity to promote petanque in Ireland.
IPA President, Billy Gleadell (L), showing the Morning AM presenters how to play petanque
Billy Gleadell, at the virgin media TV centre for his interview with Morning AM
All Photos & media courtesy of Virgin Media TV
Merci la France de nous avoir offert Pétanque
A DOUBLE FOR THE DUBS AT THE DOWNPATRICK DOUBLES!
An all Dubs final
above: (L to R) Sariff Antooaroo, Kevin Meniel, Devendra Dabeeoal & Yaness Bissessur
On Saturday the 24th June, the Boys from Bushy added to their impressive record of success in taking first and second place at the Downpatrick Doubles. Congratulations to winners Sariff Antooaroo & Devendra Dabeedoal, & runners up Kevin Meniel & Yaness Bissessur.
It was a glorious day in Downpatrick in more ways than one. As the sun shone, many teams from Dublin, Waterford, Belfast and North Down battled it out on the pistes with no quarter given, yet games were played in the true spirit of sportsmanship and camaraderie. Many thanks to Sylver for organising and managing such an excellent competition, and cooking the sausages at half-time.
Winners: Sariff Antooaroo & Devendra Dabeeoal
IPA national mixed doubles 2023
2023 Mixed Doubles Champions, Chloe & Jimmy Di Fusco, Waterford Petanque Club
May 20th 2023
13 teams gathered in Bushy Park Dublin for the finals of the IPA mixed Doubles.
The timed games event, added a new dimension to the competition, and saw the Waterford Petanque Clubs, Chloe and Jimmy meet Beatrice and Tom in the final.
The experience of the Dungarvan duo came through in the end, to see off the first time participants of their fellow club mates.
Congratulations Jimmy and Chloe
Runners up, Beatrice Barclaz & Tom Mc Phillips, Waterford Petanque Club
IPA national singles 2023
March 28th 2023
The 16 players who qualified for the finals from the regional play-offs gathered in Bushy Park Dublin for the finals of the IPA Singles.
After the preliminary stage the two finalists, Franck Brétéché from the N Down club and Tom McPhillips from the recently formed Waterford Petanque club, went head to head. Franck is a veteran of many IPA finals over the years but for Tom this was a totally new adventure.
In the final experience won the day and we congratulate Franck on lifting the trophy and Tom on becoming the 2nd best singles player of 2023.
2023 Singles Champion, Franck Brétéché (L) North Down Petanque Club, with Tournament organsier Sylver Brétéché (R)
Runner up, Tom Mc Phillips (L), Waterford Petanque Club, with organiser Sylver Breteche (R)
IRELAND VICTORIOUS AT THIS YEARS CELTIC CHALLENGE ‘23
IRELAND TEAM
Chef d’equipe and Captain Billy Gleadell
A1 Colin Delaney, Sariff Antooaroo, Stephane Voinot , Kevin Meniel.
A2 Ben Lair, Sylver, Gilles, and, Franck Brétéché
A3 Jim Ryan, Des Spratt, Dave Beck, Terry Greene
A4 George Davidson, Kevin O’Brien, Pat McCarthy, John Hennessey
B1 Philip Udron, Romain Beretti,Jimmy and Chloe di Fusco
B2 Michael McGrath, Steve Hickey, Dawid Zydorek, Rory O’Neil
B3 Yanness Bisseseur, Sujeet Roopchand, Akshay Ramke, Devendra Dabedoal.
B4 Jeremy Simpson, Carina and Robbie Beretton Billy Gleadell
Above we see the Ireland A1 team with the Celtic Challenge Trophy and the shield for the top triple which were presented to them by the Mayor of Ards and North Down Borough Council Councillor Karen Douglas.
IRELAND VICTORIOUS IN THE 2023 CELTIC CHALLENGE
MAY 1, 2023
The Ireland Team, pictured below, triumphed in the 2023 Celtic Challenge held at the N Down Petanque Club piste in Bangor, Co Down on 29th and 30th April.
The weather was misty and a little damp on the Saturday and again on Sunday morning. There was thunder and lightening and rain on Sunday afternoon that caused parts of the piste to flood and halted play for 20 minutes or so, The rain delayed the proceedings but didn’t dampen the Irish teams enthusiasm and they continued to rack up the wins before finally emerging victorious.
The Ireland A squad had a total of 34 wins ensuring that the Trophy would rest in Ireland for the next year before we try and defend it in Wales 2024. Overall Scotland were runner-up with 27 wins and Wales 3rd with 20 wins.
Mention must be made of the supporting role played by the B team – they won a total of 15 games over the weekend – including 12 against Scotland and Wales which definitely contributed to the A team’s victory.
There were a lot of new players in the Ireland squad and it augurs well for the future of Petanque in Ireland.
As well as claiming the overall trophy the Ireland A1 team of Colin Delaney, Sariff Antooaroo, Stephane Voinot and Kevin Meniel were unbeaten in their 12 games over the weekend and rightly claimed the trophy for the Best Triple. The event was graced with the presence of Councillor Karen Douglas, Mayor of Ards and North Down Borough Council, who, along with the Presidents of the IPA – Billy Gleadell, SPA – Alison Swiffin, WPA – Tony Smith and N Down Petanque Club – Kevin McBrien, threw the ceremonial first boules to open the event on the Saturday. Councillor Douglas was also guest of honour at dinner on Sunday Evening in Pickie Bowling Club function room.where she handed out the main awards as well as mementos to the players of all three nations.
The IPA would like to record its thanks to the members of N Down Petanque Club for their contribution to the smooth running of the event and also to their landlords, Pickie Bowling Club for their assistance over the weekend and in particular the use of their marquee which was very popular especially when the rain came down on Sunday afternoon!
Petanque in Athlone
MARCH 9, 2023
The IPA wishes to congratulate Athlone Regional Sports Centre on the completion of a new piste in the town. The facility is based in the Sports Centre Brawny Road, Athlone Co Westmeath N37 W3W0
The piste is free to use and also has free car parking available & there is an Outdoor Coffee Dock on site.
It is to be hoped that a new club can be formed in the town to make use of the facilities, so if you live near and want to play the game – now is your chance.
Our picture shows the completed piste at the centre.
IPA Elections
FEBRUARY 20, 2023
At the recent AGM the following were elected to the IPA Council
President – Billy Gleadell – Cavan Petanque Club
Honorary Secretary – Dawn Kirk – Ormeau Petanque Club
Honorary Treasurer Own Kelleher – Park Petanque Club
Council Members – Tom McPhillips – Waterford Petanque Club , Sylver Breteche – North Down Petanque Club, George Davidson – North Down Petanque Club, Roberto Caira – Park Petanque Club, Des Spratt – Ormeau Petanque Club, Dermot Murray – Marlay Park Petanque Club, Brian Kavanagh – Cabinteely Petanque Club, Tom Donnellan – Bayside Petanque Club
2023 Celtic Challenge Qualifier
SEPTEMBER 11, 2022
A total of 17 triples from all parts of the island entered the first stage of the qualifying event to become part of the Ireland team for the 2023 Celtic Challenge which will see Ireland host teams from Scotland and Wales.
Held at the N Down club premises in Bangor, where the 2023 Celtic Challenge will be played, there was a full days play in glorious sunshine – lets hope for weather like that next year!
Every game was hard fought and in the end the 8 teams captained by Ben, Jeremy, Dave, Romain, Dawid, Colin, George and Yaness made it through to the final stage of selection when the teams to represent Ireland A and Ireland B will be decided.
Our photo, courtesy of Owen, shows most of the participants in Bangor on Saturday 10th September.
Thanks to Denis and Dawn for their contribution to the smooth running of the event on the day.
PHOTO
IPA DOUBLES 2022
AUGUST 17, 2022 ~ LEAVE A COMMENT
August 13th saw the 2022 edition of the IPA Doubles played in a sun kissed Bushy Park Dublin.
After the two round-robin group games the 13 teams were whittled down to two, Samir and Sariff and Sylver and Franck, to contest the final.
The final saw some excellent play by both pairs and in the end Samir and Sariff ran out the winners by the narrowest of margins – 13 points to 12.
Congratulations to all participants and thanks to Park Pétanque Club for facilitating the event.
IPA Triples 2015
- 18 April 2015
Winners: Jim Ryan (L) Martin Ryan (M) Jackie Broderick (R)
Runners Up: George Davidson, Humberto Tavares Denis Nightingale
IPA Singles 2015
21 March 2015
Winner: Naazim Mohungoo
Runner Up: Pat Kennedy
IPA Doubles 2014
Winners: Gilles Breteche (L) Sylver Breteche (R)
2012 CELTIC CHALLENGE
The 2012 Celtic Challenge was played in beautiful sunshine over 5/6 May, at North Down PC premises at Pickie Bowling Club, Bangor.
After the first day’s play, the situation was fairly close with Scotland and Ireland A on 14 wins, Wales on 13 wins and Ireland B on 7 wins. However, on day 2, Scotland pulled away to finish with 31 wins, their second successive win in the competition. The final results are shown below.
Of particular mention is the performance of Scotland 1 ( Paul Bretenoux, Robbie Stronach and John Wilson ) who finished as ‘top triple’ with victories in all 12 matches for the second year running. Interestingly, one of their tightest games was against Ireland B3 ( Owen Kelleher, Adam Kelleher and ‘Misty’ ) who matched them all the way before losing 13 – 11.
The top Irish Triple was Ireland A4 ( Richard Elvin, Sebastien Stevenot and Arshaad Dooreemeah. )The top Welsh Triple was Wales 4 ( Peter Beresford, Gay Evans and Kon Tomczk )
Final placings
1. Scotland 31 Wins + 124 points
2. Ireland A 26 Wins + 32 points
3. Wales 25 Wins + 23 points
4. Ireland B 14 Wins - 179 points
IPA Doubles 2012
24 March 2012
Winners: Junette Bostrom (L) and Jim Ryan (R)
IPA Singles 2012
02 June 2012
Winner: Arshaad Dooreemeah
IPA Singles 2012
02 June 2012
Winner: Arshaad Dooreemeah
Triples 2009
Winners: John O’Grady (L) Jack Di Pizzo (M) Martin Lovisek (R)
Doubles 2009
Winners: Fayaz Sookhary (L) John O’Grady (R)
IPA Singles 2009
Winner: Fayaz Sookhary
IPA Triples 2008
Winners: David Beck (L ) Jim Ryan (M) Humberto Tavares (R)
IPA Doubles 2008
Winners: Fayaz Sookhary (L) and John O’Grady (R)
IPA Singles 2008
Winner: Fayaz Sookhary
IPA DOUBLES 2007
Winners: Humberto Tavares (L) and George Davidson (R)
IPA Doubles 2007
runner up: Sylver Breteche (L) Gilles Breteche (R)
IPA Singles 2007
Winner: Pierre Di Pizzo (L)
Runner Up: Humberto Tavares (R)
