Bowling was very much a minority sport when Falls Club made its debut, at a time when the century was only five years on. It took another half century to pass before the ladies were finally allowed to throw a bowl, although there were no objections to their tea-making activities.
Falls affiliated to the IBA in the year of the club's birth, 1905, the first Belfast Public Parks to do so.Preceeding them into the IBA were Belfast, Belmont, Coleraine and Ballymena.
A note in the club records makes the statement that the turf on which the first games were played came from Castlerock and that it was laid 'without any expert assistance whatever' The unknowns responsible for that piece of pioneer turfmanship are unnamed.
Up till 1924 the Belfast Parks League championship was won eight times by the club. After three years failures at the final hurdle the IBA Cup was won in 1920.
In 1927 the decision was taken to secure new grounds at Fruithill and application was made to join the Private Greens League.
After a lapse of 33 years the IBA cup was won by the club and in the following year the IBA Junior Cup was captured.
The club's Ladies Section was formed in 1960, the attendance at the inaugeral meeting totaling nine. It has come a long way from those formative days.:---- (Extract from Ireland's Saturday Night 29 May 1982)
Yes! We have come a long way since then and our long heritage is detailed below.
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Past Presidents
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1905 J Hethrington |
1940 O Schiess |
1976 F Campbell |
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1906 F O'Neill |
1941 W Conway |
1977 B Davey |
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1907 Dr W McHarry |
1942 M J Maguire LDS |
1978 F E O'Reilly |
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1908 J McDonnell |
1943 M J Maguire LDS |
1979 J Brankin |
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1909 J Thompson |
1944 J J Martin |
1980 T Laverty |
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1910 J Brennan |
1945 P Griffith |
1981 J Greer |
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1911 G McCann |
1946 J Heaney |
1982 W McKelvey |
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1912 Dr WJ Hill |
1947 J O'Hara |
1983 E McNally |
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1913 J Todd |
1948 Rev D Rhodes |
1984 T Hale |
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1914 G Hove |
1949 T P O'Shea |
1985 B J Griffin |
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1915 D Shane |
1950 E P Bradley |
1986 F McGarrity |
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1916 A Lochart |
1951 J Wilson |
1987 A Devlin |
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1917 S Hall |
1952 K C O'Kane |
1988 P Kane |
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1918 M Doherty |
1953 J McGuigan |
1989 S Vallely |
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1919 S Chambers |
1954 Rev J McCloskey BA CC |
1990 P Cunningham |
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1920 F McNally |
1955 A Mathews |
1991 D Savage |
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1921 T Davison |
1956 H S Anderson |
1992 P J Murtagh |
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1922 J McAlister |
1957 J Hoey |
1993 P Nesbitt |
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1923 J Dunlop |
1958 J McKelvey |
1994 E C McVeigh |
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1924 M Hopkins JP |
1959 S Kelly |
1995 J P Crawford |
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1925 E Brennan |
1960 E Gordon |
1996 P F O McVeigh |
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1926 J McCann |
1961 Rev P J Conway MA DPhil |
1997 J McGettrick |
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1927 Rev G Clenaghan |
1962 J McConnell BSc |
1998 D McCullough |
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1928 H McAlinden |
1963 J Agnew |
1999 A Smith |
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1929 Dr D McSparran |
1964 A Smith |
2000 P McEvoy |
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1930 Dr D McSparran |
1965 G McNeill |
2001 T Stafford |
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1931 P Collins |
1966 P Millar |
2002 J Walsh |
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1932 E McEnaney |
1967 J Agnew |
2003 P Thompson |
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1933 P McGivern BA |
1968 D Taylor |
2004 S McKiernan |
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1934 J Agnew |
1969 T McGuinness |
2005 D Devlin |
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1935 J Molloy JP |
1970 J Donnelly |
2006 J Lowe |
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1936 Rev P McLaverty |
1971 J Webb |
2007 J Copeland |
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1937 J O'Kane |
1972 W Pimley |
2008 G F Davey |
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1938 Very Rev A H Ryan DD |
1973 J Monaghan |
2009 H Sergeant |
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1939 Councillor J Hopkins |
1974 H McKeown |
2010 P J Butler MSc |
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1975 D O'Callaghan |
2011 P McGarrity |
| 2012 G Lee |
Honorary Members
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G Crossey |
T Hale |
D Savage |
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F Campbell |
T Laverty |
W Pimley |
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P Cunningham |
D O'Callaghan |
W McKelvey |
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League and Cup wins
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IBA Cup |
Private Greens League |
Private Greens Cup |
Private Greens League |
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Senior |
Junior |
Senior |
Junior |
Senior |
Junior |
Midweek |
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1920 |
1954 |
1929 |
1970 |
1953 |
1962 |
1974 |
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1953 |
1967 |
1962 |
1979 |
1955 |
1968 |
1985 |
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1957 |
1975 |
1965 |
1984 |
1960 |
1974 |
1989 |
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1964 |
1981 |
1966 |
1985 |
1961 |
1975 |
1990 |
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1965 |
1987 |
1968 |
1986 |
1965 |
1980 |
1992 |
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1967 |
1990 |
1969 |
1987 |
1967 |
1981 |
1994 |
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1968 |
1991 |
1971 |
1988 |
1968 |
1983 |
1996 |
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1969 |
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1976 |
1991 |
1969 |
1984 |
1997 |
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1974 |
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1977 |
1992 |
1976 |
1985 |
1998 |
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1976 |
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1978 |
1994 |
1978 |
1986 |
2000 |
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1984 |
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1979 |
1996 |
1979 |
1988 |
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1980 |
1997 |
1981 |
1989 |
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1981 |
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1982 |
1992 |
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1983 |
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1984 |
1993 |
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1988 |
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1990 |
1994 |
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1991 |
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1991 |
1995 |
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1992 |
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1998 |
1996 |
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1997 |
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IBA wins
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Singles |
Pairs |
Triples |
Fours |
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1923 J Fitzpatrick |
1925 J McPartland & J McCann |
1976 |
1962 |
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1982 P McVeigh |
1954 JJ Burns & G Crossey |
1978 |
1967 |
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1961 H Waterson & G Crossey |
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1972 |
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1979 J Rogan & JJ Donnelly |
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British Isles
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Pairs |
Fours |
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1979 M Murray & J Rogan |
1962 H Watterson G Mc Neill J Webb G Crossey 1968 J Webb H Watterson J Donnelly G Crossey |
Veterans Pairs The Thornton Cup
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2009 R Mc Neilly & J Cassidy |
International Players
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J Brankin 1980,82,86 |
J Hetherington 1906 |
PFO McVeigh 1999,2000,01,02,03,04 |
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J Brennan 1909,10,12 |
J Hoey 1949 |
D Millar 1951 |
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G Crossey1955,56,57,58,59, 60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,69,70 |
W Mahood 1991 |
W Montgomery 1985,86,87,88,92,93 |
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P Davey 1985,86 |
B McBrien 1961,71,72,74,77, 79,80,81,82,83,85,86,87,88,89 |
C Murphy 1911,12,13 |
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JJ Donnelly 1965,66,67,68, 70,71,72,73,74,75,77,78,79 |
J McCann 1919,21,25,26,39,30,32 |
S O'Brien 1995,96,97 |
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JK Dunlop 1924,25 |
J McCavanna 1955,56,57,66,67,68 |
H Oliver 1909,11,20 |
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S Elliman 1984,92 |
G McCrea 1913,14,19,30 |
W Pimley 1971,72,73,74,75,77,78,80 |
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S Espie 1977,78,79,80 |
P McGarrity 1999,200,01,02,03 |
J Rogan 1979,81,82 |
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F Fitzpatrick 1955,56 |
W McKelvey 1975,77,78,79,80,81, 82,83,84,85 |
PFO McVeigh 1999,2000,01,02,03,04 |
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E Gordon 1963,66,67,68,69,70 |
E McNally 1986,87,88,90 |
A Smyth 1964 |
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J Greer 1973,74,75,77,78,79,81,83 |
J McPartland Jnr 1960,61,62,63,64,65 |
J Todd 1908 |
Junior International Players
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P Brennan 2005,06,07,08,09,10 |
M.McCafferty 1998,99,2000 D Copeland 2000,01,02 |
C McCall 2004 |
Senior Singles The Boyd Cup
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1920 J Todd 1921 T Cairns 1922 P J McPartland 1923 C Tracey 1924 C McShane 1925 E Dougan 1926 J K Dunlop 1927 E Brennan 1928 J McPartland 1929 W Addis 1930 P J Mc Partland 1931 D McKernan 1932 P J McPartland 1933 E J Moss 1934 G Brennan 1935 P J McGivern 1936 G Brennan 1937 A Hannigan 1938 G Brennan 1939 O Schiess 1940 G Hove 1941 M Duffy 1942 G Gilmore 1943 J Wilson 1944 J Diamond 1945 F Fitzpatrick 1946 F Fitzpatrick 1947 M Mc Laughlin 1948 J Barr 1949 J Diamond 1950 J Hoey 1951 D L Hennessey 1952 J McCavana |
1953 F Fitzpatrick 1954 J Flannigan 1955 E Gordon 1956 J Flannigan 1957 J Flannigan 1958 A Smith 1960 G Crossey 1961 G McNeill 1962 J Webb 1963 B McBrien 1964 J McPartland 1965 B McBrien 1966 W Pimley 1967 E Gordon 1968 H Wattererson 1969 A Smith 1970 J Donnelly 1971 B Davey 1972 B Davey 1973 W Pimley 1974 P Kane 1975 J Donnelly 1976 P Kane 1977 W McKelvey 1978 W Pimley 1979 E McNally
1980 W Montgomery 1981 J Greer 1982 W Montgomery 1983 W McKelvey 1984 D Hamilton 1985 B McBrien 1986 W Pimley |
1987 E McNally 1988 P Kane 1989 E McNally 1990 S O'Brien 1991 S O'Brien 1992 E McNally 1993 E McNally 1994 P Lillis 1995 P McVeigh 1996 S O'Brien 1997 M Morgan 1998 P Mc Veigh 1999 P McVeigh 2000 P McFall 2001 S O'Brien 2002 P McVeigh 2003 P McVeigh 2004 J Murtagh 2005 J McGettrick 2006 P McVeigh 2007 L Aldridge 2008 M Merritt 2009 D McCullough 2010 P McVeigh 2011 J.McGettrick |
Junior Singles The Hopkins Cup
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1971 W McKelvey !972 P McVeigh 1973 E Regan 1974 W Montgomery 1975 D O'Callaghan 1976 T Hale 1977 P Trainor 1978 H Magee 1979 P McGarrity 1980 J McIlea 1981 P McGarrity |
1982 J Cassidy 1983 P Gillespie 1984 J Gallagher 1986 W Gannon 1987 H Mohan 1988 D Savage 1989 P Hamilton 1990 H Sergeant (Jnr) 1991 P McCafferty 1995 D Devlin 1997 K Brennan 1998 J Mann |
1999 G Knocker 2000 J Copeland 2001 S Conlon 2002 B Smith 2003 S Conlon 2004 P Butler 2005 P Brennan 2006 V McKenna 2007 L Aldridge 2008 D Cregan 2009 N Walsh 2010 L Loughran 2011 B Rice |