Ballsbridge club's successful pitch

Depending to whom one talks to, the Americans have between four and a half million and 15 million tossers. No surprise there then but these are tossers of an altogether different kind and in Ballsbridge there are about 130 of them. The latter grouping constitute the Ballsbridge Horseshoe Pitchers, founded in 1992, whose pitching takes place behind the defunct toilet at the Ballsbridge end of Anglesea Road.

Yesterday they were awarded £100,000 from the Government Sports Capital Grants to knock down the old toilets and build a new clubhouse in its stead; it will be a circular log cabin that will blend in with the mature trees in the vicinity. Planning permission for the structure was granted two years ago.

This year constituted a third attempt to receive Government funding. The Government demands an applicant supply 20 per cent of the cost of any venture and the Pitchers more than fulfilled that criterion. One of the founders confirmed that fact and also pointed out several members had spent £16,000 of their own money in developing the club. They originally applied to take over the site behind the toilet in 1992, "a rat-infested wasteland" according to the source, and transformed it into the perfect pitching court.

They also hope to upgrade the playing area from the basic pitching court (grass), two metal bars, one foot high and 33 feet apart. The Ballsbridge club enjoy a competitive rivalry with Donnybrook and Balally. It was officially designated a sport in Ireland by the Sports Council in 1993.

The All-Ireland Club championships take place in Athy in a couple of weeks while Ireland also boast an international presence in Horseshoe Pitching. They take on Wales, the Isle of Man and an English team from Luton on September 8th.

Today's competitive propellant has to be specially made, weighing about 2lbs. The sport was revived on a competitive, organised basis in Wexford in the late 1960s, dating from the century old tradition of pitching at the crossroads.

The intercounty league was set up in the mid 1980s with the finals taking place at the Horse Show in Ballsbridge. The game is popular in areas such as Wexford, Carlow, Kildare, Dublin, Laois and Kilkenny, who constitute the Midland League, established in 1974.

Apparently horseshoes is a game for all the family and the Ballsbridge club confirm their eldest members as 72 and 73 respectively, descending age-wise to callow youth.