Congratulations to Jayden Kyle (Larne) who won the IBA Youth Singles title last night with a 21-20 win over Brad Stirling (Coleraine). In so doing, Jayden completed a magnificent 7 out of 7 IBA Championship wins for our NIPGBL representatives this year.

The scale of this unprecedented achievement by our 2021 NIPGBL and IBA Champions is illustrated by the following historical records.

1917-1969 (only 3 disciplines, singles, pairs, fours). The NIPGBL won all 3 only twice in 1933 and 1948.

1970-1972 (4 disciplines, triples added). The best year for NIPGBL was winning only 1 IBA title, fours, in 1972.

1973-1999 (5 disciplines, junior singles added). The best year for NIPGBL was winning 4 out of 5 in 1979, (singles, pairs, triples and junior singles). The first 3 all won British Isles titles also.

2000-2013 (6 disciplines, youth singles added). Our best year was winning 4 titles in 2008, pairs, triples, junior and youth singles.

2014-2019 (7 disciplines, senior fours added). Our best year was winning 4 out of 7 in 2016, fours, senior fours, junior and youth singles.

2020 not played.

This year’s champions, Simon Martin (singles), Sam Barkley and Martin McHugh (pairs), Aaron Coleman, Ali Coleman and Stephen Coleman (triples), Dean Mills, Mark McPeak, David Corkill and Stuart Bennett (fours), Danny Tumilty, Martin McInerney, Dessie Breen and Chris Mulholland (senior fours), Sam Barkley (junior singles) and Jayden Kyle (youth singles) have written a new, unique chapter in the history of the NIPGBL and of Irish bowls. We extend our warmest congratulations to them all on this wonderful achievement.