Ireland win World Senior Curling Championships

25 Apr 2012

Ireland, one of the world's smallest curling nations proved that it's quality not quantity when downing the might of Canada in the final of the World Senior Curling Championships in Denmark at the weekend 6-5 after an extra end. The team - Johnjo Kenny, Bill Gray, David Whyte, Tony Tierney and David Hume - represent a nation with just 52 curlers and no curling facilities anywhere in the country.


The team, who were sponsored by Albert Bartlett, had an amazing week, going through ten games undefeated. After topping their section, the team, skipped by 51-year-old Kenny, beat Finland in the quarter final, before scraping past the former three time world champion Eigel Ramsjfell and his Norwegian rink in the semis. In the final the Irish team forged into a four-one lead at the half time break after a loose stone from Canada opened the door for Ireland. Kenny played his stone perfectly, taking out two Canadian counters, leaving four Irish stone sitting.


The tension mounted as Canada, a country with a million curlers clawed their way back into the game. When Kenny was forced to draw the four foot to tie the game at five all which took the game into an extra ninth end, it looked as if the momentum had swung back in Canada's favour, but a stunning raised triple takeout by Kenny to lie shot with his last stone put Ireland in a winning position. With the last stone of the game, the Canadian skip failed to draw the four foot and Ireland were the world champions.


The team, who all live and curl in Scotland , were either born in Ireland or have Irish parentage. They are hoping their achievements will mean the fulfillment of the dream of the Irish Curling Association to have a permanent curling facility in Ireland.


There are plans to have a three sheeter pad in Dublin up and running within the year and with that in place the next stage is the development and promotion of the sport in the country and hopefully more gold medals. The seniors championships are for curlers aged 50 and over.