Ireland preparing for European Bowling championships in Germany 

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: The sporting world is looking to Paris and July 26 to the opening of the Olympic Games, but the Olympics for bowling will open with less pomp and circumstance in the picturesque town of Neuharlingersiel on Germany’s North Sea coast on Thursday. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom Honan

The sporting world is looking to Paris and July 26 to the opening of the Olympic Games, but the Olympics for bowling will open with less pomp and circumstance in the picturesque town of Neuharlingersiel on Germany’s North Sea coast on Thursday.

European bowling championships have been aligned with the Olympic cycle over several decades, with the official opening always fixed for Ascension Thursday – which is a major feast day in both Germany and the Netherlands.

These games test Europe’s top bowlers in three of the recognised international disciplines of Irish Road bowling, Dutch Moors bowling and German Lofting. The Italian discipline, which most resembles the Irish game, is not yet included.

Ireland travel to the games with mixed expectations. Some of the best bowlers in the country are not part of the international squads, for a variety of reasons. The senior men will be missing a former Dutch Moors champion in Aidan Murphy and Arthur McDonagh, who is probably Thomas Mackle’s main rival at present. The women will be without Kelly Mallon, who is indisputably Ireland’s top bowler.

Where does that leave the men and women in green? It certainly weakens the potential for winning the team events. This is especially critical as Ireland, like the Netherlands, relies on performing well in two out of three disciplines. German lofting is totally dominated by the two German associations.

The added challenge for Ireland is that the size of its squad is not nearly as big as that of their two main rivals, the Netherlands and the hosts, Germany’s FKV. This is down to pure logistics. The Dutch will arrive by coach, the Germans are playing at home, so they can bring bigger squads and rotate players.

The Dutch Moors will be played on Friday. This is very taxing physically. It is played on grass, which is far more draining than the hard road surface, the bowl is lighter and requires a very specific trajectory, which places additional strain on players. With five in each group, it means that players are out on the course for several hours. Being sharp and at your best the next day is a challenge.

However, there is a very close correlation between the player most likely to prosper in the Dutch Moors and on the road. So there is a limit to the extent to which either the Dutch or Germans are able to switch out their top players.

On the road the Irish men will be bidding for a fifth successive gold medal. David Murphy ended a 20-year famine for Ireland in 2008 and then won three-in-a-row. Séamus Sexton made it four-in-a-row in the covid delayed games in 2022 in Schleswig-Holstein. With both of those in the team, James O’Donovan who won bronze last time and Thomas Mackle, who has yet to sparkle at this level, Ireland has genuine ambitions.

In the Dutch Moors, Martin Coppinger, was in a last shot for gold in Kaltenhörn in 2022. James O’Donovan has been in the shake-up too for the medals in the Dutch Moors in the two previous championships. It’s a shame that Tommy O’Sullivan, who won silver at U18 in 2022, was injured for the trials this time. He would have brought dynamism to Ireland’s bid.

Kelly Mallon’s absence diminishes the prospects of the Irish women significantly. The burden will shift to players like Geraldine Curtin and Hannah Sexton to push Ireland towards the medals. Sexton came closest last time in the Dutch Moors. Silke Tulk is the biggest obstacle to Irish ambitions, the Dutch super-star, will be bidding for a fifth successive Dutch Moors gold to add to her U18 and three senior golds.

At home, last year’s Munster Junior B champion, Noel O’Regan, captured the West Cork Junior A title when he beat Peter Murray by a bowl of odds at Togher Cross.

Murray made an excellent start, but lost a chance to extend his lead at the bridge. Still he pushed his lead to close to a bowl with three good throws to light at the cross. O’Regan upped his response clipping the lead back to just 30m following three big bowls to the end of the wall. A massive bowl from there put him in front. He scorched past the school in two big shots to go a bowl in front and dominated to the line.

Johnny O’Driscoll beat his cousin, Jimmy, in the last shot of the South West final at Shannonvale. Johnny missed a chance to go a bowl in front at Desmond’s and they were locked together from there to the line. Patrick O’Driscoll beat Colin O’Donovan by a bowl in the London final at Launder’s Lane.