Billy Pimley

Billy Pimley
Personal information
NationalityNorthern Irish
Born24 November 1919
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Died30 May 2023 (aged 103)
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Sport
SportLawn bowls
ClubFalls BC

William "Billy" Pimley (24 November 1919 – 30 May 2023) was an international lawn bowler from Northern Ireland who competed at the Commonwealth Games.[1]

Biography

Pimley was educated at St Malachy's College and was a member of the Falls Bowls Club in Belfast[2][3] and made his international debut in 1971.[4]

Pimley was a three-times runner-up in the Irish National Bowls Championships; in the singles behind David Marchant of Leinster in 1972 and the pairs in 1968 and 1969.[5][6]

Pimley represented the Northern Irish team at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand,[7] where he competed in the pairs event,[8] with Billy Tate.[9]

In November 2019 he visited his old school shortly before celebrating his 100th birthday.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Northern Ireland Christchurch 1974". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  2. ^ "The Team". Ireland's Saturday Night. 14 July 1973. p. 11. Retrieved 2 January 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "Pimley takes a winning stand". Belfast Telegraph. 7 January 1980. p. 17. Retrieved 4 January 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ Hawkes/Lindley, Ken/Gerard (1974). the Encyclopaedia of Bowls. Robert Hale and Company. p. 130. ISBN 0-7091-3658-7.
  5. ^ Hawkes/Lindley, Ken/Gerard (1974). the Encyclopaedia of Bowls. Robert Hale and Company. pp. 139–141. ISBN 0-7091-3658-7.
  6. ^ Sullivan, Patrick (1986). Guinness Bowls Records. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. pp. 46–47. ISBN 0-85112-414-3.
  7. ^ "Christchurch contenders". Belfast Telegraph. 6 October 1973. p. 14. Retrieved 2 January 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "The Magnificent Seven". Ireland's Saturday Night. 12 January 1974. p. 8. Retrieved 2 January 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ Sullivan, Patrick (1986). Guinness Bowls Records. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 82. ISBN 0-85112-414-3.
  10. ^ "William Pimley (99) travels down memory lane". Irish News. Retrieved 2 January 2026.