Name – Craig Whyte
Age – 32
Occupation – Business valuations
Lockdown loath? – Trying to get a tee time on the golf course
Lockdown like? – A 10 second commute to work
Staycation destination? – Cairngorms
Coffee order? – Black
Best curling team to watch and learn from? – Mouat
Any competition superstitions? – Green socks
What will finally break the internet? – The new ICA website
Name – John Wilson
Age – 35
Occupation – Teacher of Mathematics
In-turn or Out-turn? – In-turn
Best ever curling memory? – World Mixed in Aberdeen
If you had to switch careers, what job would you do? – Explorer / Travel photographer
Apart from the ICA, what website do you spend the most time on? – YouTube
Best & worst subjects at school? – Best – PE, Worst – French
Who’d be your four ideal dinner guests? – Father Jack, Dougal, Ted and Mrs Doyle.
Earliest curling related memory? – being pushed down the ice, sitting on a curling stone.
Favourite curling destination and why? – Perth … Great ice and easy to get to.
How do you relax away from work (and curling)? – running (hills and roads).
The person you most admire and why? – Ranulph Fiennes or anyone who has to carry out any feat of endurance.
Name – Arran Cameron
Age – 47 and feeling it with these youngsters
Occupation – Civil Engineer doing too much paperwork
What is your favourite word – Currently it’s Nefarious
What’s your biggest fear – The Guinness running out
Last gig you went to – Mad Ferret Band
The film you can watch time and time again – The Hunt for Red October
What are you best at – 🍺
The sport you won’t watch – diving, cmon it’s not a sport
Name – Dr. Kyle Paradis
Age – 34
Occupation – University Professor in Sport Psychology at Ulster University.
Status – single / married / divorced / other/ – Partner – Tais
Children – No Children.
Years curling – 30
Home club and ice rink – my ICA club is Belfast, back in Canada, Tam Heather and Leaside
Favourite sport outside curling
Who would you really like to meet? – Whoever is around!
Favourite TV programme? – Derry Girls!
Favourite holiday destination and why? – Hawaii was great, but I have always wanted to go to Italy.
Favourite other Irish curler and why? – my teammates and Eoin McCrossan who was the first person I met and talked with the ICA before moving over and welcomed me, and now he’s our president!
You can save one prized possession. What is it? – my dog, Sophie.
Who would you choose to be marooned on a desert island with? – My partner, Tais.
Sum yourself up in five words – Only needs one word – lucky.
Here’s Alan’s take on life….
Name – Alan Mitchell
Age – 46
Occupation – Fashion Designer
Three things you really like? the beach, Tom Roche, Baxter the dog
Three things that really annoy you? People who are always late, cauliflower, litter
Three things from your ‘bucket list’ – sail the Atlantic, visit Antarctica, Surfing in Hawaii
What was the last film you saw? The Force Awakens
And the last book you read? Billy Grump
Give us a playlist of five of your favourite songs (and artists) –
Dignity, Deacon Blue
Nothing Compares to U, Prince
Open your eyes, Snow Patrol
Tinseltown in the Rain, The Blue Nile
Sweet Dreams , Eurythmics
And one song you never want to hear again?
Karioke from Tom Roche
What would be your specialist subject on Mastermind?
Scottish football 1988-2000
What’s your favourite meal?
Fish + Chips
Washed down by?
Irn Brew
Tell us something about yourself that will surprise people?
Once caddied for golf superstar Payne Stewart
You can save one prized possession. What is it?
Baxter the Dog
What keeps you awake at night?
nothing, not even Tom Roche’s snoring
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
What’s the worse that can happen?
Tom on the spot…
Name – Tom Roche
Age – Over 50
Occupation -Service Leader
Three things you really like? –Family, Food & Fast Cars. (Fast Women days are Over).
Three things that really annoy you? – Self important people.Bad Driving and
Two things from your ‘bucket list’ – Win a Curling Medal for Ireland.See Ewan & Erin into Adulthood.(Ewan or his PlayStation may not make it).
What was the last film you saw? Deadpool.
And the last book you read? Who has time to read a book. I’m the Daddy Taxi and No-1 fixer..(parents will understand).
Give us a playlist of five of your favourite songs (and artists) –
Pharrell williams, I’m Happy.
Swedish House Mafia, Don’t worry Child.
Gotye,Somebody I use to know.
Avicii,Hey Brother.
Ed Sheeran, Sing.
And one song you never want to hear again? – Gummy Bear, I’m a Gummy Bear.(I have it on my playlist for my Daughter).
What would be your specialist subject on Mastermind? – Life, and what not to do.
What’s your favourite meal? Enchiladas
Washed down by? A Corona.
Tell us something about yourself that will surprise people? I Raced Stock Cars for years ( which helped on the Roads of Dubai).
You can save one prized possession. What is it? My I-Phone 6.
What keeps you awake at night? Nothing.live life well, sleep well.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Be the best you can be,life is to short for anything else .(From My Dad)
Let’s find out about Bob…..
Name – Bob Sherrard
Age – 32
Occupation – Gardener
Status – single
Children – none
Years curling – 2
Home club and ice rink – Dunblane/BlairDrummond, Stirling
Favourite sport outside curling:
To watch – I’ll watch anything
To play – more likely to be hiking up a munro
Who would you really like to meet? – Sir David Attenborough
Favourite TV programme? – nothing recent, The Shield
Favourite holiday destination and why? – Lived for a year in South Korea and would love to go back, maybe Pyeongchang 2018!
Favourite other Irish curler and why? – Tom Roche, the saviour of our team and secretly hoping he does all the sweeping!
You can save one prized possession. What is it? – Don’t possess it yet, prob my hiking boots
Who would you choose to be marooned on a desert island with? – Ray Mears, Stevie Gerrard, Jennifer Lawrence Derren Brown, Rachel Weisz
Sum yourself up in five words – I’m from Norn Iron, I wear my heart on my sleeve
Andrew’s turn….
Name – Andrew Gilmore
Age -17
Occupation – Student
Status? – Single
Children – none
Years curling – 7
Home club and ice rink – Logan – Stranraer Ice Rink
Favourite sport outside curling:
To watch – Snooker
To play – Sailing
Who would you really like to meet? – Dara O’Briain
Favourite TV programme? – Game of Thrones
Favourite holiday destination and why? – Spain – Sun and Sea
Favourite other Irish curler and why? – PJD Wilson – Sense of humour, not quite as keen on his tactics…
You can save one prized possession. What is it? – My Car
Who would you choose to be marooned on a desert island with? – Bear Grylls, Emilia Clarke, Rob Brydon, Jennifer Lawrence
Sum yourself up in five words – Honest, Reliable, easy going person.
Here’s the first of the men’s team – 5th man John:
Name – John McWilliam GilmoreAge – 60
Occupation – self employed – B&B and Holiday Cottages
Status – Married
Children – Andrew – age 17
Years curling – 42 years
Home club and ice rink – Stranraer ice rink, Logan club
Favourite sport outside curling:
To watch – Rugby
To play – Sailing
Who would you really like to meet? – Shakira
Favourite TV programme? – Would I lie to you.
Favourite holiday destination and why? – Balearics Islands – not long flight and the weather
Favourite other Irish curler and why? – My son Andrew – he scored 56 in the points and I would like to match that.
You can save one prized possession. What is it? – My Irish stripe!
Who would you choose to be marooned on a desert island with? – Mans best friend, our boxer dog Cara
Sum yourself up in five words – Reliable, punctual, trustworthy, happy person
Don’t put the valium away for the summer just yet. The Irish mens and womens teams are in Slovenia for the European Curling Championship C Division, which starts tomorrow. Good luck to them all and let’s have a closer look at our representatives……
First up for their profiles is ladies skip Ailsa:
Name – Ailsa Anderson
Age – 27
Occupation – Planner/ Surveyor
Three things you really like? – Travelling, chocolate, flexi-time
Three things that really annoy you? – Rudeness, bad drivers, when people spell my name wrong.
Three things from your ‘bucket list’ – Play in a WCF Worlds event, learn Gaelic and get a tattoo.
What was the last film you saw? Never Been Kissed (naughties classic!)
And the last book you read? Why Not Me by Mindy Kaling
Give us a playlist of three of your favourite songs (and artists) –
Colorblind, Counting Crows
Are you with me, Easton Corbin
I love to boogie, T-Rex
And one song you never want to hear again? – The crazy frog song.
What’s your favourite meal? – Christmas Dinner
Tell us something about yourself that will surprise people? – Prime numbers are my favourite.
You can save one prized possession. What is it? – My family.
What keeps you awake at night? – The telling off I’ll get from Coach if I wreck on guards…
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Curling – You can never take enough ice.
Life – Hakuna matata.