1st Series All Ireland Finals - Report
Castletownkenneigh, County Cork
Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th July
Cork are finding it desperately difficult to win back the Hughie Trainor Senior Cup, as for the fourth year in succession it will head North after Ethan Rafferty beat Arthur McDonagh in a high-quality Senior final at Castletown. No lead for McDonagh in this score. Rafferty got one of the longest first shots ever thrown on the road, McDonagh beat it by fifty meters in two. McDonagh got a huge fourth to the sleepers and Rafferty throwing over 150 mt beat the tip by 100 mt a huge bowl. McDonagh’s sixth was very right and at the novice line Rafferty was almost a bowl up. Rafferty just fell short of full sight at Pynes corner, McDonagh followed this but also missed sight but was keeping it under the bowl of odds. Rafferty opened the bend before the netting in two more, McDonagh followed another huge bowl to keep it under the bowl of odds by forty meters. Rafferty raised the bowl of odds again at the netting, McDonagh missed Forshin’s cross with his twelfth and Rafferty was rasher tight left and came out full sight the makings of two bowls of odds. McDonagh finished with three great bowls but there was too much odds to be knocked and Rafferty won out by a bowl of odds. Rafferty becomes the second bowler to win All-Ireland intermediate and senior in successive years. Eddie Carr also from Armagh won Intermediate in 2002 and Senior in 2003.
HEARTACHE FOR MURPHY
Juliet Murphy got the worst possible start in her All Ireland Intermediate Final against Armagh Camogie captain Gemma McCann. She found herself a bowl of odds down after four bowls to the end of the railings. Murphy knocked the bowl briefly at the sleepers but McCann raised it again with a big bowl to Round tower cross, she held this odds and raised fifty meters with it when she went sight at Pynes corner, there looked to be no way back for Murphy at this point. But Murphy wasn’t done just yet she produced three super bowls out sight at the netting that knocked the bowl of odds. McCann had a dreadful left hand pull and it came against her with her shot from the netting. Murphy produced another super bowl and suddenly the crowd were on their feet, McCann missed the finish line by six meters with her fifteenth, Murphy was still in this score only twenty five meters between them for the last shot, but alas Murphy was very left with her last and it got accidently blocked but would not have put a bowl in front of McCann so glory went to the Armagh lady. There was a stake of €7,600 a-side.
ALL-IRELAND GLORY FOR BANTRY AND DRIMOLEAGUE BOWLERS
Back the road we had the Boy’s U-12 final between Tommy Coppinger, son of Martin Coppinger Bantry and Keigan Fullerton Armagh. These two young men got three super opening bowls out past the netting to the black gates where Coppinger had thirty meters of odds. Coppinger was out Pynes corner in two more but Fullerton followed long bowls and was keeping it under the bowl. Two more huge bowls to Round Tower cross for Coppinger where he raised the bowl of odds. Fullerton was below the cross with his ninth. Coppinger unleashed a super eight down past the sleepers where he had huge odds with the bowl. Fullerton got a super bowl of his own to Rory’s house and Coppinger beat this by ten meters. Three more to Spillane’s entrance and Coppinger lead was now out of the reach of Fullerton, he won out in the end by almost two bowls.
AN ALL-IRELAND TITLE AT LAST
P.J. Cooney Dungorney has finally got his hands on an all-Ireland title defeating Mickey Rafferty Ulster in the veteran final at Castletown, having previously lost two All Irelands, a Junior A in 1997 and an Intermediate in 2000. This one he will treasure, apart from Rafferty taking the lead in the second shot it was Cooney who dominated for the remainder of the score he regained the lead with his third and had big odds at Round Tower Cross, it looked like he would have a bowl at Pynes corner but Rafferty produced two great bowls but just fell short of full sight at the bend. Cooney was throwing over forty meters at this juncture. Cooney gave Rafferty his last chance when he missed sight for the netting, but Rafferty bowl was left and missed sight also. Cooney had almost a bowl at the netting and rose it fully with a great eleventh shot to Fehily’s Lane and he carried this out to Forshin’s Cross. Both didn’t get great bowls off the cross but still Cooney held his bowl advantage, Rafferty’s last fell short of the line and the Tony Murray Cup will grace the mantel piece of the Cooney home for the next twelve months.
CARR TRADITION CONTINUES WITH THE NEXT GENERATION
Next up we had the Boy’s U-16 Caolan Carr son of former Intermediate & Senior all-Ireland winner Eddie playing Culann Bourke from Berrings. Three good opening bowls each to Rory’s house Carr forty meters fore bowl. Bourke lined some good bowls up past round tower cross but Carr followed and beat them. Bourke kept it under the bowl in seven and eight each to Pynes corner. Carr raised the bowl with a super eight out sight for the netting, three poor bowls in succession and the odds was mounting on Bourke, after two more from Carr down to the netting and back of the line the winning margin was almost two bowls.
Back down the road we had last year’s U16 All Ireland winner Megan O’Reilly back to defend her title when she played Orla Ni Mhurchú. Like the Boy’s U16 final this was a trap to line win for O’Reilly. She lined three great opening bowls to the black gates where she raised a bowl of odds. Luck was also on her side as her fourth was misplayed very right but got a nice touch and up sight at the bend. Ni Mhurchú just fell short of sight at Pynes corner in two more and O’Reilly went down and around. Ni Mhurchú played a perfect bowl around Pynes corner and got a nice touch off the left dyke to beat tip by fifty meters and keep it under the two bowls, that was until O’Reilly unleashed a massive seventh shot down the hill three quarter ways to round tower cross. Ni Mhurchú beat this by forty meters in two and when O’Reilly played the most perfect bowl down the left track back of Rory’s house there was no more back for Ni Mhurchú, and O’Reilly sealed the score with another super bowl to the start of the railings.
O'DRISCOLL TURNS ON THE STYLE
Drimoleague were out in force to cheer on their hero Brian O’Driscoll in the Junior B All-Ireland against 2023 Junior C all-Ireland winner Barry O’Reilly. No stake in this one, O’Driscoll a sizzling hot favourite on a sun-drenched Castletown. On any other occasion and against any other opponent O’Reilly would have been a winner, but he came up against a grounded, well focused O’Driscoll who played most sops with precision and speed. There was no lead in this score for O’Reilly. Four super bowls from O’Driscoll well above round tower cross where he was twenty meters short of the bowl of odds. O’Driscoll was very right with his fifth but it was “called” and he done the same with his second attempt, but done the unimaginable and opened Pynes corner with a super sixth, that is huge bowling to that point and still his odds here was only a bowl. O’Reilly’s eight was always left and missed sight for the netting, this was a chance for O’Driscoll to close out the score but he blew his bowl right and missed sight also. O’Reilly knocked the bowl after two more to the netting. O’Driscoll’s tenth slashed left off the play and was back of Fehily’s lane, O’Reilly beat this by forty meters and had a chance of Forshins Cross. O’Driscoll missed the cross and O’Reilly’s looked like going out fully but caught a kerbing and missed line by ten meters. From here O’Reilly threw a perlicue and beat the second line by fifteen meters. O’Driscoll’s thirteenth whipped out lovely made the Enniskeane sign, O’Reilly beat this by fifty meters. O’Driscoll next got a nice touch off the right dyke and O’Reilly’s bowl fell left missed tip and the Denis McGarry Cup will sit nicely in the O’Driscoll home.
Results in Summary
P.J. Cooney bt Mickey Rafferty 1bl Veteran All Ireland Final
Caolan Carr bt Culann Bourke 2bls Boy’s U-16 All Ireland Final
Megan O’Reilly bt Orla Ni Mhurchú 2bls U-16 All Ireland Final
Brian O’Driscoll bt Barry O’Reilly 1bl ns Junior B All Ireland Final
Gemma McCann bt Juliete Murphy 1bl €7,600 as Intermediate All Ireland Final
Tommy Coppinger bt Keigan Fullerton 1bl U-12 All Ireland Final
Ethan Rafferty bt Arthur McDonagh 1bl €2,000 as Senior All Ireland Final
Pre All-Ireland scores were played at Castletown to defray some of the costs that it takes to run an All-Ireland:
Shane Healy beat Thomas Maloney €2,000 a-side, Darren O’Driscoll beat Jer O’Leary €890 a-side, Jack O’Callaghan beat Brian Horgan €2,600 a-side, Cathal Creedon beat John Butler €1,350 a-side, Patrick O’Brien beat Alex O’Donovan €2,200 a-side, Jack O’Driscoll beat Paudie Crowley €700 a-side, Michael Bohane beat Wayne Parkes €1,000 a-side, Shane Healy beat Jack O’Driscoll €3,000 a-side, Cillian Kelleher beat Jake Cullen €4,300 a-side, Jim Coffey beat Eoin McCarthy €6,600 a-side, Colm O’Regan beat Flor Crowley €12,000 a-side and Flor Crowley beat Colm O’Regan €14,000 a-side.
The winners of the weekend....
2nd Series All Ireland Finals - Report
Keady-Tassagh, County Armagh
Saturday 02nd & Sunday 03rd August
WEST BEST STRIKE GOLD ON MAIN STAGE
West Cork bowlers brought their A-game to the All-Ireland series in Armagh - and brought home the titles too. Schull's Shane Crowley, Drinagh's Emma Hurley, Laura Sexton from Timoleague, and Eoghan Kelly from Macroom performed outstanding performances on the Keady-Tassagh road to claim All-Ireland glory, each delivering on big stages when it mattered most.
Shane Crowley made amends for his defeat in last year’s U-18 final that he lost to Armagh’s Oisin Gribben at Castletown when he beat Eoghan McVeigh from the Tyrone club by a bowl of odds on the Keady-Tassagh road in Armagh. Crowley’s power was the decisive factor in this contest. McVeigh took the first shot but Crowley settled into this score with a massive third and fourth out Tynams bend where he had a bowl of odds. McVeigh with a couple perfect bowls had it under the bowl at Gillogly’s. Crowley at the Creamery lane restored his bowl advantage he held this odds up to McKeown’s and into the hollow. A strong challenge from McVeigh in the last quarter, McVeigh lined a fantastic thirteenth shot down the hill past the garage and followed up with three more out past McKee’s wall and on to Dudleys where he had the odds down to fifty meters. Crowley finished with two great bowls out the bridge and over the line to bring the title back to Schull.
ALL-IRELAND DELIGHT FOR LOCAL BOWLERS WHO RAID THE ORCHARD
In the girls U18, Drinagh’s Emma Hurley was ice-cool as she saw off Ellie Mai Carr daughter of former champion Eddie Carr.
Ellie Mai bust from the blocks lining three massive bowls into the hollow, but a totally composed and focused Hurley kept it under the bowl. Hurley took her first lead with a massive fourth and would not be led anymore. She raised big odds down Gillogly’s Heights, the defining moment came when Hurley went sight above the piggeries and Carr missed out. Hurley raised the bowl with an incredible shot to the Bus Shelter, she was over the finish line in two more adding the U18 title to her U16 of 2023.
The boy’s U14 we thought was going to be the score of the weekend when they opened with two huge bowls each, O’Rourke taking both shots. Kelly got an incredible third shot that ran into the hollow before Gillogly’s Height’s that won him his first lead. He took control of the score from here and at Twynams bend after two more sizzling shots he raised the bowl. O’Rourke put in a late challenge when he got a magnificent tenth out the last bend at the bus shelter, it was under the bowl here, but the line was approaching and O’Rourke got an incredible last but Kelly had only to beat the line to take the title and did so with a well-played last.
In the Junior A Paddy Stokes from Mayfield was taking on a seasoned campaigner in Conor McGuigan, McGuigan no stranger to All-Ireland titles having won Senior, Intermediate and Junior A titles already over the years. There was a stake of €600 a-side in this one. Stokes took the first and fourth shots of this score but a super fourth out to Tynams corner from McGuigan gave him control of the score. From here it was not so much the big bowling of McGuigan but the dip in form that Stokes took. Four very poor bowls in succession and suddenly he fell two bowls of odds behind at the Creamery lane. Stokes knocked the two bowls with a super ninth to Dooley’s but McGuigan raised them again at McKeown’s. A dip in form down the Carnival straight and on for the Garage from McGuigan where he played three poor bowls and the odds here was under the bowl. Stokes did his best to stem the tide from here to the bridge but McGuigan upped his game again and beat two big bowls to the bridge, Stokes missed the line and McGuigan took the title by a bowl of odds.
Sunday morning was the turn of the senior ladies, Kelly Mallon going for her twelfth title taking on Hannah Sexton going for her first. One lead for Sexton in this score that being her first shot a massive drive up the hill that she won by three meters. Sexton got a superb fourth and the score looked to be level at Twynam’s bend, but Sexton spun her fifth crazy right and it fell short of sight at Twynam’s bend. Mallon went full sight in five having almost a bowl of odds here. Mallon playing with a bit of luck on her side got a super sixth and seventh into the hollow and over Gilloghy’s height that extended her odds with the bowl. Mallon raised the second bowl with an incredible eight to the Creamery lane. Mallon held this odds on to Dooley’s and facing up to McCann’s. Sexton’s thirteenth was a super bowl that knocked the two bowls, at the Carnival gates it was still under the two bowls but Mallon lined a big last that Sexton missed for the two bowls of odds. Mallon undisputedly the best woman bowler ever, has set a record that we can safely say will never ever be broken. We look forward to seeing her again at the King & Queen of the Roads in September.
Back the road on Sunday we had the inaugural Junior Ladies All-Ireland between Laura Sexton (Sister of Hannah) taking on Jessica Hughes (Cousin of Kelly Mallon). A nervy start from both girls Sexton took the first shot and Hughes the second. Sexton settled the better and got two great bowls to McKeown’s, but Hughes was back in front with a super fifth facing down for the Creamery lane. Sexton got a good bowl to the Creamery lane and Hughes was very right and missed the tip, Hughes caught the left with her seventh and Sexton raised big odds with her seventh and eight shots on towards Gillogly’s, Hughes kept it under the bowl with a massive drive to Twynam’s bend, but Sexton went almost sight to Twynam’s bend that Hughes missed and now with the line approaching Hughes had it all to do. She done well to keep it to the bowl along the straight for the last bend at the bus shelter. Hughes missed the line and Sexton beat it well to take the Malachy Lennon Cup to Timoleague for the next twelve months presented by Malachy’s wife Philomena.
The final score to close out the second series of All-Irelands was the Intermediate between Paidin Stokes playing Eugene McVeigh playing with the Cork style. McVeigh opened with a huge drive up the hill, extended his lead in two more facing Twynam’s bend, Stokes done well to keep it under the bowl at Twynam’s bend. But McVeigh unleashed a rocket of a fifth shot up Gillogly’s heights that raised the bowl as Stokes bowl fell right. Stokes knocked the bowl at the Creamery lane. McVeigh restored his bowl advantage again with another jet to Dooley’s, he held this to McCann’s and raised almost a second bowl onto the Carnival straight but two poor bowls from here for McVeigh and a gap suddenly opened for Stokes. But he missed McKee’s wall and left a chance slip, Stokes had it under the bowl before the bridge, McVeigh hopped the Bridge and Stokes got a super rub to shove this score to a last shot. McVeigh’s sixteenth looked buried left but the Gods were with him as it came out and made just back of the finish line. Stokes missed this and the title goes to Tyrone.
The winners of the weekend....
