157th Post: Sweltering August 2026

Well wishes:

We all wish James Rowland, Frank Byrne, Billy Peat and Gerry Wolfe and any other current or former members our very best wishes as they deal with their various health issues.  Other members, gratefully, are in touch with them and keep us posted.  Many thanks.....

 Áras an Uachtaráin:

Tom and Eileen were privileged to be part of an IPA representative delegation to visit Áras an Uachtaráin on Tuesday 25th August.  Current and former players from all provinces along with Internationals players from previous Transplant Games were present with a fair split of genders among the thirty permitted.

Though President Connolly was not in attendance we were given a lovely tour of the gardens and house.  It was a great opportunity to have Bayside Boules Club represented among the delegation.

Shared Storage Compound and Defibrillator:

The Storage Compound to be shared by BBC and the juvenile section of MSFC has been installed by Fingal Co.Co.  They took on board some of our concerns/ideas, but not all.  We will await their approval before organising appropriate storage to contain the equipment that is currently stored in a couple of homes and the school.  With the new security fencing around the school access there is restricted and the school would prefer not to be storing the gear.

The new security situation around the school has created a problem for 24/7 access to the Defibrillator. The issue is being addressed with the school agreeing to a relocation.  We are in negotiations with an installer to price the job and hopefull have the unit on the park side of the railings, proximate to the pistes and available again to the community.

IPA Precision Shooting: Sat 15th August:  Griffeen Valley Pétanque, Lucan

Dirk and Ciarán had the courage to enter thr IPA Precision Shooting Competition.  They were pitted against the best on the island....

 https://petanqueacademy.fr/en/precision-shooting/

The five demanding disciplines require graded degrees of accuracy over varied lengths of throw.  All part of the learning process towards which Ciarán has been engaging with the Tuesday night sessions.  The more players who are prepared to 'Shoot' or even 'Drive' their occasioal boule to dislodge opponents will make us more competitive both' home and away' as a club.

Some photos of an Official Mat; set of Precision Shooting Boules and lay out Template........

Return fixture v Griffeen:

The suggested date for our return fixture v Griffeen is Friday 25th September in Alden Park.

We lost narrowly on the first occasion but we hope to reverse the outcome next time around!!

Last time we played Triples as they had five pistes and 15 players, as we did.  We will see how many players they can bring to Alden and decide on the format, then. On this occasion we may identify six 'shooters' [ one per piste / team] and then open the event to the remaining club members.

Rules re Circle and Jack:   [Please read and apply!]

The circle must be drawn (or placed) more than 1 metre from any obstacle and at least 1.5 metres from another throwing circle or jack in use.

The interior of the circle can be completely cleared of grit/pebbles etc. during the end but must be put back in good order when the end is over.

The players’ feet must be entirely on the inside of the circle and not encroach on its perimeter and they must not leave it or be lifted completely off the ground until the thrown boule has touched the ground.

No part of the body may touch the ground outside the circle.

Any player not respecting this rule shall incur the penalties as provided in article 35. As an exception, those disabled in the lower limbs are permitted to place only one foot inside the circle, but the other foot must not be in front of it.

For players throwing from a wheelchair, at least one wheel (that on the side of the throwing arm) must rest inside the circle.

If a player picks up the circle when there are boules still to be played, the circle is replaced but only the opponents are allowed to play their boules.

The circle is not considered to be an out of bounds area.

• In all cases the circles must be marked before the jack is thrown.

The team that is going to throw the jack must erase all throwing circles near the one it is going to use.

The team winning the toss, or the previous end will have only one attempt to throw the jack.

If this jack is not valid it is handed to the opponent who must place it on the terrain at a valid position.

If the jack is not placed in a valid position by the second team, the player who placed it shall be subject to the penalties outlined in article 35, In the event of a repeat offence, a new card will be issued to the whole team, in addition to any cards previously received.

The throwing of the jack by one member of the team does not imply that they are obliged to be the first to play.

• The players must mark the position of the jack initially and after each time it is moved. No claims will be allowed for an unmarked jack and the umpire will rule only on the position of the jack on the terrain.

Selection of Photos from across the month of August:

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