Road bowling: Big guns Rafferty and McDonagh contest All-Ireland senior final

Meanwhile, Brian O’Driscoll is like the Cork hurlers, managing the hype is a big challenge. He will have legions of supporters when he takes on Barry O’Reilly in the men’s junior B final on Saturday.

Thu, 10 Jul, 2025 - 02:25

Seamus O’Tuama

Ethan Rafferty and Arthur McDonagh contest a high-profile All-Ireland senior bowling final at Castletownkenneigh on Sunday.

Rafferty has greater recognition in the wider sporting community, given his goalkeeping duties with Armagh footballers, but McDonagh is the established star in bowling.

Last year, Rafferty was able to physically and psychologically impose himself on a young Tommy O’Sullivan when winning the intermediate All-Ireland. This time, he faces a mid-career, seasoned, and highly talented bowler.

Rafferty gave a master-class in last year’s intermediate final. He gained the advantage with a monster bowl to Forshins’ cross and killed the contest in the next exchange. O’Sullivan called him at the cross.

Rafferty went back and with steely resolve, delivered a massive bowl. This time it wound way past the last bend to give him an unassailable lead.

Beating his brother, Colm, twice in the Ulster campaign franks his class, especially as the first one was in the midst of his Armagh commitments. Beating McDonagh is another step up.

DUAL COMMITMENTS: Conor Geaney of Kerry has his shot saved by Armagh goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty. Pic: Daire Brennan/Sportsfile

If McDonagh has a chink it’s in letting leads slips and then having to extricate himself with some magic. He would not want to be relying on magic next Sunday.

McDonagh won the senior All-Ireland in 2021. He seems to have found that form again in 2025. He was brilliant in the Munster semi-final and had the strength to dig out a big win against Gary Daly in the final, helped by a Rafferty-type bowl from Forshins’ cross.

Juliet Murphy, was a big name in Cork’s glorious ladies football era that saw them win 11 All-Irelands between 2005 and 2016. Like Rafferty, she combined success in Croke Park with success in bowling.

She faces Ulster intermediate champion and Armagh senior camogie captain, Gemma McCann, who is also combining dual commitments.

In 2025, Murphy has done some of her best bowling, including a sensational Munster final win. If she can repeat that performance on Sunday, it is hard to see how McCann could beat her. McCann, who was unstoppable in Ulster, is awaiting her big breakthrough. She lost the 2015 All-Ireland u18 final to Veronica O’Mahony.

Brian O’Driscoll is like the Cork hurlers, managing the hype is a big challenge.

He will have legions of supporters when he takes on Barry O’Reilly in the men’s junior B final on Saturday.

He looked unbeatable in his previous outing, a sound beating of Alex O’Donovan in the Munster final.

That followed wins over players like Shane Crowley, John O’Donoghue and Anthony Crowley in the hottest Munster junior B championship in decades.

His opponent, Barry O’Reilly, is a very tidy bowler. He won’t match O’Driscoll for speed, but he will be on the sop for every shot and make vital points to stay in contention.

He has a wealth of experience too. He won a very impressive junior C All-Ireland on the same weekend O’Driscoll won the novice I at Killea in 2023.

Ulster’s Mickey Rafferty is contesting his second consecutive All-Ireland veteran (over-50) final. He lost by less than a metre to Andrew O’Leary in 2024 at Eglish in a score where the lead changed hands six times.

He won’t have the comfort of an Ulster venue this time, and if anything, is facing a harder opponent in PJ Cooney.

Cooney is rejuvenated in 2025. He has the bonus of a classic Munster final against Paul O’Brien over the All-Ireland course. That day, he had to call on all his resources, top-class bowling, recovering from lost leads and then doing just enough to win in the last shot.

Munster u16 champion, Culann Bourke is a fine player. He took down some big names in his Munster campaign, including former All-Ireland winner Tommy O’Donoghue and Gerald McDonagh.

He faces Caolan Carr who has been at the top of his age-grade in Ulster since winning at u12. This year he was really sharp up to and including his win over Cody Donnelly in the Ulster final. He is another player with a big GAA connection.

He captained Keady to an All-Ireland Féile win.

All-Ireland u16 champion Megan O’Reilly defends her title against Munster’s Órla Ní Mhurchú.

O’Reilly gave a five-star performance in beating Méabh Cuinnea last year in Eglish. Ní Mhurchú showed plenty of bowling and pluck in her strong finish against Shauna O’Driscoll in the Munster final too.

Tommy Coppinger, son of 2024 Munster senior champion Martin, contests the u12 final against Ulster’s Keigan Fullerton.

Coppinger has the potential to be a huge star. Fullerton is a hot prospect too as evidenced by his bowling in Ulster.

All-Ireland Bowling Programme

Venue: Castletownkenneigh, Co. Cork

Saturday, July 12

10:30am: PJ Cooney (Munster) v Mickey Rafferty (Ulster) [Veteran over-50 Men].

12:30pm: Culann Bourke (Munster) v Caolan Carr (Ulster) [Boys u16]

2pm: Órla Ní Mhurchú (Munster) v Megan O’Reilly (Ulster) [Girls u16]

3:30pm: Brian O'Driscoll (Munster) v Barry O'Reilly (Ulster) [Junior B Men]

Sunday, July 13

10:30am: Juliet Murphy (Munster) v Gemma McCann (Ulster) [Intermediate Women]

12:30pm: Tommy Coppinger (Munster) v Keigan Fullerton (Ulster) [Boys u12]