'One highlight of my time at the Carrick Club was in 1955 when local jeweller Victor McAleese and I won the Northern Ireland Bowling Association pairs.'

'One highlight of my time at the Carrick Club was in 1955 when local jeweller Victor McAleese and I won the Northern Ireland Bowling Association pairs.'

Tom recounts joining the bowling club and his successes on the team.

Tom Sutton

Trinity College Dublin

1955

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Tom Sutton

Marriage and Family

Life Story

Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim

1950s

The Carrickfergus Bowling Club was formed in 1947 and it was 1950 when I became a member and was given a very warm welcome. I was selected to play on their team with league matches being played on a Saturday afternoon, not the most suitable time for someone with a shop. However, it was the only time I got some relaxation and even Doreen encouraged me to participate. One highlight of my time at the Carrick Club was in 1955 when local jeweller Victor McAleese and I won the Northern Ireland Bowling Association pairs. It was all the more remarkable as in the first round, playing the last ends of the match, we were behind by four shots and somehow scored five shots to pull through to the next round. It was the first major success to come to the Carrick Club. Subsequently, I was selected to play in the Public Parks Association team in the annual Inter Association team against the Private Greens, Provincial Towns and the Bowling League of Ireland. As it was always a rush to get to Carrick, my mother thought it would be more sensible to join Cavehill Bowling Club, of which she and also Doreen's father were members, beside when we were younger both Doreen and I had played tennis there. I intended joining, but at an AGM at Carrick, which I was not at, I was unanimously elected president for the next season - 1956. I must say it was a wonderful experience and with Courtaulds and ICI opening in the local area the club. Having been president, I felt I could not leave the Carrick Club the next year and, indeed, I waited until 1959 to join Cavehill - a club I am still with after 52 years though, due to ill health, I have not played for the last few years. However, in that time, I won the Private Greens singles three times, the triples once, the Irish singles once, besides being on the Irish international team for six series, playing in all eighteen international matches. As a member of Belfast Indoor Bowls Club, I played at least ten series on the Irish team, 30 matches in all and in both indoor and outdoor had the honour in a series of each to be nominated Captain, with Stanley Espie and Sammy Aswood we won the British Isles Indoor Triples.Now as I enjoyed success on the bowling green, I couldn't help getting involved in administration and was President of Cavehill and the Private Greens in 1969, President of Ireland in 1974 and of the British Isles in 1981. I was also for long spells Honorary Treasurer of the British Isles Bowling Association and the British Isle Bowling Council.

Irish Research Council for Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS)

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)