BALLYVALLY ARCHERY CLUB..A HISTORY.

Archery in the Banbridge area started in the early 1970’s with Frank Mulligan setting up the first club in the area……St Patrick’s Junior Archers. Shortly afterwards Frank was one of the co-founders of Newry Archery Club [now defunct] and Banbridge Archery club founded in the mid 1970’s.

With archery beginners sessions starting in Craigavon Leisure Centre under Frank’s instruction there was soon another club established there in 1987 and in 1988 Frank started St. Mary’s Archery Club which later became Ballyvally Archers. St Mary’s started off as a junior club for the school but soon attracted juniors from other schools and when parents began to join, it was thought time to found a new club in 1997 and this became “Ballyvally”. The name “Ballyvally” was chosen as it was the townland which encompassed both Loughbrickland [the club’s outdoor range] and Banbridge [the club’s indoor range].

With numbers still growing, the club moved to Newbridge College and then with numbers again increasing moved in 2002 to the new Banbridge Leisure Centre. Ballyvally currently still shoots in Banbridge Leisure Centre and has a very good outdoor course in Whyte’s Estate in Loughbrickland. Last year [2006], Ballyvally had close to 500 archers of all ages shooting in 5 different leagues. The club has hosted the N.I. Indoor Target Championships and the N.I. Field Championships twice as well as hosting the British Open in 2004 and 2006.

Over the last 5 years, Ballyvally has hosted the Irish leg of the British Barebow Championships and this year has supplied the British Team with no less than 3 of their team of 15 for the European Championships in Croatia. Ballyvally coaches to a very high standard and club members have won 5 medals at the highest levels. Mark Nesbitt won silver at this year’s European Championships in Croatia and Peter Mulligan won silver at the European Champs in 2005 in Slovenia. Gold medals at World Championship level have been won by Peter Mulligan [Austria 1998 and Croatia 2004] and Edel Mulligan [Slovenia 1999 and Italy 2000]