Happy 10th Birthday

It is ten years this December since eight strangers met and curled at Gogar Park - the first time any Irish curlers had curled together for almost a centuary - and the ICA was formed as a result of that meeting. Ten years on, we have gained RCCC recognition, played regular fixtures against the other Four Nations, competed in the World Seniors, revived a 130 year old fixture against Ardrossan Castle, and curled in Belfast and Dublin (beating Hammy McMillan in the process).

We hope that the next ten years will bring Olympic recognition, WCF membership and a permanent home for Irish curling in Belfast, Dublin or both!

On Irish Soil

Although Dundonald Ice Rink in Belfast asked us to submit a business plan for curling there in March 2002, they later said that they had no room for curling at Dundonald.

We have been in contact with the Dublin based Irish Ice Hockey Association, who were involved with Dublin City on Ice - an open air project in the centre of Dublin. Several ICA members went over to help them with the skate hire operation, and this led to an early morning fixture in January between Ireland (represented by four ICA members based in Scotland) and the Rest of the World (Robin Gray, Peter Wilson and 2 Canadians - all resident in Ireland).

After many struggles to find land and money, the Ice Hockey Association hope to have a rink erected in Dublin this Autumn, and they want us to be part of that operation.

In Belfast, we have now established a partnership with the Belfast Ice Warriors, an amateur ice hockey team, who hope to have an ice rink at the King's Hall at Balmoral Showgrounds which will be operational by this Autumn. They also would like the ICA to be involved.

Olympic Recognition

Following our match in Dublin, our president Bill Gray received an invitation from the Irish Olympic Council president, Patrick Hickey, to visit Dublin and make a case for Olympic approval. Although we may need to amend our constitution to gain it, we hope that Olympic recognition (and WCF affiliation) may soon be possible.

Overseas News

We receive regular communications from all around the world on our website. We have had invitations to curl in Florida, St Petersburg and Andorra (any four ICA members wanting to visit Andorra in November, please contact John Burns). We have had teams wanting to compete in our competitions from Moldova and Moscow, and we have had letters from Canada and the USA asking about setting up sister organisations for Irish exiles there. Our American contact is married to Debbie McCormick, the current World Ladies Champion. We are working on these contacts, and will let you know of progress. We also had phone calls from England and Sweden from Irish curlers who qualified to play for Ireland.