Ballymena’s Commonwealth contingent bid for Games glory

Ballymena's Commonwealth Games contingent, pictured prior to departing for Glasgow. From left: Steven Donnelly (boxing); Jennifer Dowds, Donna McCloy, Barbara Cameron (all lawn bowls); Ryan Connor (cycling team manager); Jim Baker (bowls team manager). Missing from the picture is Kirsty Barr (shooting).

Five competitors with links to the borough will be among the record 117 Northern Ireland competitors for next month’s Games in Glasgow.

They are preparing for Wednesday night’s eagerly-awaited opening ceremony, which will take place at Celtic Park.

Among them is hugely experienced bowler Barbara Cameron, who first competed in the Commonwealths back in 1994.

She is joined in the bowls panel by Jennifer Dowds and Donna McNally who, although they reside outside of Ballymena, play their club bowls at the Old Ballymoney Road-based club.

Kirsty Barr is named in the shooting panel where she will complete in the trap discipline.

The Shankbridge markswoman was part of the Northern Ireland set-up for the previous Games in Delhi in 2010.

Boxer Steven Donnelly was also part of the team in squad for those Games in Delhi.

Donnelly, the recently-crowned Irish champion, will compete in the welterweight division and is one of 11 boxers named and he goes into the Games in confident form.

Two other well-known Ballymena sporting names will also be part of the Northern Ireland set-up in Glasgow.

Ryan Connor will be in charge of the cycling teams, while Jim Baker will lead the men’s bowls team.