History & honours
A very brief history
Railway Union Bowling Club was founded in 1904 and is the second oldest bowling club in Dublin. It was a founder member of the Irish Free State Bowling League (now Irish Lawn Bowls - ILB), which was instituted in 1927 to promote the game of bowls in the Republic of Ireland.
Our bowling green is the oldest green currently in use in Ireland. Originally consisting of three rinks, it's now a six-rink full-size green playable in both directions. (North/South and East/West).
The club has enjoyed success in Irish Lawn Bowls competitions over the years, winning all of the ILB Junior Cups at various stages (see our Club honours section below for further details).
We won the ILB 3rd Division for the first time in 2012, and followed that up by winning the ILB 2nd Division, again for the first time, in 2014. We've spent most of the time since then in the top Division (now knowns as the Premier Division), though we dropped back down to the 2nd Division (now called Saturday Division 1) in 2022 and currently compete there.
The club was an all-male institution until 1974, when a ladies section was instituted. This was in place place until 2018 and was very successful in its own right, even having a player selected for the Irish international team (Pat Evans). However, lawn bowls in Ireland is now a fully mixed sport and there are no longer separate ladies and men's sections in the club.
Like all clubs, we've had our ups and downs over the years, but we're fighting very hard to restore the Club's fortunes and are looking to the future with confidence.
Wherever you're from, whatever your experience and however you identify, you're welcome to bowl with us.
Finals appearances & honours
ILB Leagues:
2016 - Division 2 runners-up (promoted)
2014 - Division 2 winners (promoted)
2012 - Division 3 winners (promoted)
ILB Cups:
2016 Crumlin Cup winners
ILB Championships:
Sixsmith Cup (senior rinks):
2019 - B Stirling, D Kells, C Carrick & A Kells (runners-up)
1934 – TJ McKee, P Reynolds, V Sully and JP Morrow (winners)
Nassau Cup (junior singles):
2012 – N Daly (winner)
1945 – S Wilson (winner)
1943 – CT Sheppherd (winner)
1941 – JA Connolly (winner)
1934 – TJ McKee (winner)
Tyler Cup (junior pairs):
2011 – A Kells & D Kells (winners)
2010 – U Daly & N Daly (winners)
2009 – F Tierney & D Kells (runners-up)
1943 – WR Sargeant & AC Hogg (winners)
1940 – SJ Doyle & JA Connolly (winners)
1933 – TJ McKee & V Sully (winners)
BLI Cup (Junior Triples):
2002 – T Moorehead, T Wynne & C McKernan (runners-up)
1990 – F Tierney, G Dagg & J MacKenzie (winners)
1989 – J Tanham, L Fox & W Ensor (winners)
Mecredy Cup (Junior Rinks):
2011 – U Daly, J Mellon, V Daly & N Daly (winners)
2010 – U Daly, J Mellon, V Daly & N Daly (runners-up)
2009 – F Tierney, A Kells, D Kells & W Jackson/T Kennelly (winners)
2002 – R Fitzgerald, V Daly, T Moorehead & P Coady (runners-up)
1990 – F Tierney, J Campbell, G Dagg & J MacKenzie (winners)
1989 – F Tierney, J Campbell, G Dagg & J MacKenzie (winners)
1980 – J MacNamara, H McKeown, E Collins & T Perkins (winners)
Bank of Ireland Investment Cup (Under-18 Singles):
2012 – A Jackson (winner)
Dun Laoghaire Champion of Champions:
2016 - Billy Stirling (Runner-up)
1972 – Brian Carpenter (Winner)
ILB Ladies Championships:
Senior Rinks
1991 - K Parsons, Z Trower, N Moorehead & M Tubbert (winners)
Senior Triples –
2011 - P Evans, B Condron & L Lyons (runners-up)
1987 - B Murphy, P Evans & P Corcoran (winners)
Junior Singles
1981 - T Devlin (winner)
Junior Pairs
1981 - T Devlin & P Evans (winners)
1980 - P Corcoran & F Wilson-Price (winners)
Junior Rinks
1999 - D Neilan, H Buggy, L Lyons & V Doddy (winners)