David Murphy seals the deal in final quarter to secure title
Murphy opened with a tremendous shot to lead by 80 metres, but Mackle stormed back to lead by two metres on the second.
Both men rounded the orchard corner in four, with Mackle six metres ahead. Murphy gained valuable distance up the hill to lead on six shots past the ‘long lane’ by a margin of 55 metres, before stretching it to 120 metres after seven shots. It was then that some truly spectacular shots were delivered. Mackle had a great shot on his eighth, but Murphy topped it into McCusker’s Cottage.
Mackle replied in kind with his ninth, covering an amazing distance.Murphy’s lead by then was cut to 70 metres; after 10 shots it was down to 50 and into Callan’s Corner with Mackle back in the lead by 15 metres after they had both played eleven shots.
It was the next sequence of shots that largely determined the outcome.Murphy’s slightly wayward shot cushed perfectly to go all the way to Bagenal’s Corner. Mackle delivered superbly to seemingly follow suit, but it edged off just before the bend. It was then Mackle was left to rue his shot out of the bend. A disastrously misplaced bowl on the 13th left him with a difficult option on the 14th and suddenly the Armagh man was a shot in arrears. Over the last quarter, Murphy made no mistakes as he consistently increased his lead to win in the end by almost two bowls of odds.
In the men’s veteran’s final, Ulster champion Paul Grimley took on Dan O’Halloran for the national title in what proved to be a well-contested score. Grimley had a perfectly-placed bowl on the seventh to lead by 70, but O’Halloran reversed the lead on the eighth. A turning point was a mistake by O’Halloran into McCusker’s, wit Grimley seizing his opportunity. Three brilliant shots into Callan’s Corner set him up for victory in excess of a bowl of odds.
In the women’s intermediate final, Ulster champion Aoife Trainor was favoured to beat Aileen Murphy, but it was a mere metre that separated them after the opening throw.
A great shot to McCusker’s Cottage left the Munster champion almost unassailable and, despite Trainor producing a tremendous 14th bowl, it was Murphy who crossed the line in 14 to win the All-Ireland title.
One of the most awesome displays of youth road bowling was produced bythe Ulster U16 champion Odhran Rafferty when he ran out the winner ofthe All-Ireland title by a huge margin against Tom O’Donovan.
Rafferty’s opening shot from Bagenal’s Bridge was one of power and precision, covering an amazing distance to gain full sight at Callan’s Corner.
Rafferty’s amazing bowling was unrelenting, as he continued with pinpoint power and accuracy to stretch the lead beyond two, then three, and more, as O’Donovan’s pressure shots yielded no comfort.
The All-Ireland boys U12 final saw Munster champion Darragh Dempsey take a big lead of 100 metres on the first shot, which he fully retained after two. The promising young Ulster champion Jake Cullen remained undaunted, though, and a brilliant fourth shot cut the lead to 70 metres. While Cullen finished with steady play, it was a brilliant 12th shot by Dempsey that comfortably secured the All-Ireland title.
A fine opening shot by Ulster champion Darren Donnelly raised hopes of Armagh success in the Junior B championship final, particularly when Cian Boyle faltered seriously with his first throw. Playing up towards thefinishing line, Donnelly pulled his bowl off course to the left verge and it was Boyle who safely clinched the title with a fast and accurate bowl overthe line.
In the girls U16 championship final, Maria Nagle shot into a remarkable lead of 80 metres over Ulster champion Leah Grimley. Bowling much faster and demonstrating a very active and effective delivery Nagle kept on gradually increasing her lead to the finishing line.
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