Commonwealth Games 2022: Courtney Meneely happy to smash lawn bowls stereotype

Courtney Meneely enjoys smashing the stereotype that lawn bowls is a sport just for the older generations.

Meneely will be competing at her first Commonwealth Games this summer in Birmingham.

And at 27 years of age she isn’t even the youngest among the five players selected for Team NI - Chole Wilson is 20 while Shauna O’Neill is 22.

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Meneely was involved in bowls from an early age, but it was a trip to the Belfast Indoor Bowls Stadium at 11 years old with her Ewarts club coach Mandy Cunningham - a bronze medal winner in the pairs at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games - that ignited Courtney’s passion for the game.

Meneely is the youngest ever player to win the Irish Singles title and her six-year-old daughter is already playing bowls.

"It is a sport for anyone of any age," she said.

"There is a social aspect, there is a competitive aspect and I think there needs to be more exposure to the sport to allow people to understand that it is not for one specific age group.

“It is a misconception in my opinion. I play bowls with girls who are a lot younger than me. The squad coming behind us is so talented and they are all aged from 11, 12, 13 right up, I’m one of the oldest on the squad.

"My daughter plays bowls, and she is six years old. I don’t understand why it has always been perceived as an older person’s sport.”

Meneely explains how she went from being a disco dancer to concentrating on bowls.

“My mum and dad played bowls, the club where I play (Ewarts) is also a social club and they were members," she said.

“Our assistant manager Mandy (Cunningham) was a big part in me starting bowls, she brought me to the Belfast Bowls Indoor