PICTOU – They were going through some old boxes at the New Caledonian Curling Club when they found the Irish Shield Trophy.
An annual spiel that attracted women’s teams from the Pictou club, along with curling clubs in Westville, New Glasgow and Stellarton, the event is back this coming Sunday after a 33-year absence.
“We were sorting out some old trophies for a cabinet here, when we came across this,” said Margo Hilchey on Friday at the New Caledonian club, as she and Joan Fanning placed the trophy on a table.
“And we said, ‘let’s do it again’.”
According to records, the Irish Shield started in 1942 and was played every year until 1964, after which there was a break of three years. It was not held in 1970 and ’71, ’76 and ’77 and 1979, and after the 1980 version, it was halted again until 1984 and ’85.
After that?
Nothing, until the trophy was re-discovered, cleaned and then polished, all ready to go for 2018.
The Irish Shield was donated to the club decades ago by Jean Irish, who back then operated the Braeside Inn along with her husband Ernie Shield.
“It’s been around awhile,” said Fanning, who plays on a team with Hilchey (their rink is skipped by Margo Watt and they will be playing in the Irish Shield this weekend. Other team members include Andrea MacKenzie and Nancy Steele).
Asked if they know what led the spiel to be mothballed back in the mid-1980s, Hilchey replied: “No, but that would be very interesting to know.”
They also speculated that at one time every curling club in Pictou County held a similar event, and the clubs would support each other’s spiels.
A total of 10 teams are taking part this year: three teams each from New Caledonian, Bluenose and Westville CC, and one from the Stellar Curling Club.
The New Caledonian club has won the Irish Shield a total of 15 times. The Bluenose CC has captured it 12 times, Westville fives times and the Stella Curling Club once (1943).
