Birmingham 2022: 'Not just a sport for older retired people' - NI bowls hopeful Meneely

In a sport which evokes a stereotype of being dominated by the older generation, Courtney Meneely firmly breaks down any preconceptions.

The 27-year-old is one of seven debutants, five of those women, named in the Northern Ireland lawn bowls squad for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July.

The Belfast woman has been playing the game since she was 11 years old and hopes her participation and selection will encourage other young people to take up the sport.

"There's a perception that bowls is an older person's sport but hopefully we are proving that it's not," said Meneely.

"When I was younger I was a disco dancer and I played bowls, two interests at totally opposite ends of the spectrum.

"I've made some of my best friends through bowls and it's the sport that I love. We have a young team going to the Commonwealth Games and I would encourage younger people to play the sport.

"In the last four or five years I've noticed a change in the age range of the bowlers I'm playing against so hopefully people see that it's not just a sport for more elderly people who are retired.

"It's an active game with a social aspect to it also. We're going in the right direction to encourage the younger generation."

Courtney Meneely competing in the Junior International & British Isles Bowling Championships in 2017

'We'll take it all in our stride'

Courtney followed the example of her parents in taking up the sport and her experience of playing at international level includes being part of the Junior Indoor Under-25 team.

She is excited at the prospect of competing at this summer's Games in England, where she will be cheered on by daughter Darcy, who will be six in July and has also started playing bowls.

"To think that I will be part of the Commonwealth village and meet all these amazing athletes representing Northern Ireland and other countries is so exciting. It's going to be massive for us.

"Experience of playing at a very high level will help us control our nerves and help us to know what to expect when we step onto the green.

"We're used to the crowds but it will be a lot different to anything we've experienced before. We'll take it all in our stride.

"Medals are obviously the goal so that will always be in the back of our minds but we're lucky to have former medallists Neil Booth and Martin McHugh in our ranks so their experience will be invaluable."

Northern Ireland's lawn bowlers have won 20 medals at previous Games but left Australia's Gold Coast empty-handed in 2018.

The ladies squad of Shauna O'Neill, Megan Devlin, Ashleigh Rainey, Meneely and Chloe Wilson will all compete at their first Games. Sam Barkley and Adam McKeown are the two men's debutants.

The vastly more experienced McClure and McHugh, gold medallists in 1998, return for their sixth and seventh Games respectively.