History

Ty'rfran Bowls Club was founded on Thursday 30th November 1944 at a meeting convened at Parc Howard Mansion, Parc Howard Llanelli.

It is apparent from reading the minutes that quite a number of people had gathered prior to this date to discuss the formation of the club, having previously written to the Parks Committee seeking permission to use the green at Parc Howard, and also submitting an application for membership of the Llanelly & District Bowling League.

The meeting opened stating that both applications were favourable.

Officials were elected as follows:-

  Chairman - D Cecil Williams Vice Chairman - John Hughes

  Treasurer - Cyril Marks Secretary - J C Williams

  Captain - Tom Evans Vice Captain - Ernie J Rees

General Committee

W J Thomas, W H Ambrose, C Nurse, C J Dawe, Tom Evans, C Marks, D Longhurst and

F F Jackson.

Membership

The chairman read out the names of sixty persons who were desirous of joining the club. All these were admitted and the list closed, no further applications were to be accepted. Anyone seeking membership, if and when it was possible to accept further members, would only be admitted if resident within the Ty'rfran district.

The boundary was as follows:- Right hand side of Old Road to Pentrepoeth, following the Mynydd Mawr Railway to Aelybryn, to Corporation Avenue, to Gilbert Crescent and back to Old Road by the Thomas Arms. The boundary rule was abolished in 1947.

Subscription was five shillings per annum. The treasurer was responsible for opening an account with the Midland Bank.

Season 1947 saw the introduction of the first club President, Jack P Zammitt.

The club was promoted to the First Division of the League in 1949. It has had its up and downs since.

Although the club has had no Welsh Internationals, David Rhys Jones on moving to live in England became an English International.

The club has had two Welsh Singles champions, Llew Rees and Rod Hugh in 1959 and 1973 respectively, and one Welsh Bowling Association President, Wynford Smith in 1984 coinciding with our 40th Anniversary. Wynford also became President of the Barbarians Bowls Association on our 50th Anniversary in 1994.

Our four Life Members are the senior members of the club, joining as follows,

John Gibbons 1966, Allan Edwards 1972, Wynford Smith 1976, and Bernard John 1977.

Qualification for Life Membership is 25 years of continuous service.

The club's name was taken from one of the streets near to Parc Howard namely Ty'rfran Avenue. The Welsh word Ty'rfran in English translates as, house of the rook (or crow) and the badge (designed by John Gibbons) represents the rook (bird) on a house (castle) (the rook as in chess).

The First AGM was held at the Llanelli YMCA, then changed to the Thomas Arms from 1958-59, 69-74, the Dimpath Hotel from 1960-68, Colliers Arms from 1975-78, 97-2004, the Furnace RFC from 1979-82, Llanelli Wanderers RFC from 1983-96, Mayzee's Hall St 2005, Furnace RFC 2006-07 Colliers Arms from 2008.

The Colliers Arms Furnace is used as our Headquarters.