Bowling: Hannah Sexton to lead Munster team in All-Ireland series

ALL-IRELAND SERIES: Hannah Sexton will lead the Munster team in this weekend’s All-Ireland series at Keady-Tassagh on the strength of her outstanding win over Hannah Cronin in the Munster senior final at Bauravilla. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom Honan

Hannah Sexton will lead the Munster team in this weekend’s All-Ireland series at Keady-Tassagh on the strength of her outstanding win over Hannah Cronin in the Munster senior final at Bauravilla.

Her prize is a meeting with Kelly Mallon, the all-time highest ranked player in women’s bowling. She will be joined on the programme by her younger sister Laura, who won a spectacular Munster junior final against Darcy O’Brien. The same Darcy O’Brien missed out too against Emma Hurley in the Munster u18 final.

Those three finals and their counterparts in Ulster demonstrate the phenomenal rising tide in women’s bowling. The contest between Laura Sexton and Darcy O’Brien was off the charts for quality and excitement, both are still U18 in 2026. Sexton will have another big battle on her hands on Sunday against the highly experienced and talented Jessica Hughes in the All-Ireland final.

Emma Hurley and Ellie-Mae Carr will contest Saturday’s U18 All-Ireland final. In the Munster final Hurley opened with an extraordinary bowl, which gave her an instant bowl of odds. O’Brien cut the lead with great third and fourth shots, but Hurley restored her bowl of odds with her fifth . They contested the bowl of odds till the closing stages. A big 12th bowl brought O’Brien back into it, but Hurley held on for a convincing last shot win.

Sports fans can be sentimental, but there is no sentiment in the cut-and-thrust of battle. O’Brien bowled out of her skin in both provincial finals. She was both brilliant and heroic, displaying a level of performance, in the face of adversity, that very few players could sustain. She didn’t take home either cup, but she did bank huge respect for her character and talent.

Carr got the better of last year’s Ulster champion, Lily O’Rourke, at Keady. She had to battle back from being a bowl down at McCann’s. She was back in contention after a brilliant bowl towards the creamery lane. O’Rourke defended her lead well though and was still 20m in front at the top of Gallogly’s height. Carr won her first lead at Twynam’s. She had to hold off a strong challenge from O’Rourke, who had the lead down to just 10m at the bus shelter.

Shane Crowley is a bowler featuring in many conversations since his storming win over Cathal Creedon in Friday’s Munster U18 final in Bantry. Creedon is a fine player in his own right, who came into the final with a huge run of success. When Crowley got to his pitch though, no one could stay with him. He faces last year’s All-Ireland U16 winner, Eoghan McVeigh, in the All-Ireland. McVeigh and his cousin, Eugene, will both wear the red hand of Tyrone in their respective finals.

Eugene McVeigh beat Pete Carr by two bowls in the Ulster intermediate final at Keady-Tassagh. He took a while to reach full speed, but when he did Carr had no response. McVeigh shaded the first four, but Carr won the fifth to Twynam’s. Losing the lead jolted McVeigh into a higher gear. His next shot over Gallogly’s height gave him a 70m lead. From there to McCann’s he pushed his lead to well over a bowl of odds. He raised the second bowl past the carnival gates and he put the contest to bed between there and McKee’s wall. He plays Munster’s Páidín Stokes in the All-Ireland final.

Eoghan Kelly was impressive too in his win over Fionán Twohig in the Munster U14 final. He plays Emmet O’Rourke who beat Jack O’Reilly in a closely contested Ulster final.

James O’Donovan and Aidan Murphy are in pole position for the race to claim the single wild-card route into the the 40th anniversary King of the Roads in September. They both won their bouts in the Mick Barry Cup at Ballincurrig on Sunday.

O’Donovan closed with two massive bowls from Din Tough’s to card the best score of the day and see off the challenge of both Martin Coppinger and Patrick Flood. Earlier Murphy seized the day when the opportunity presented against Gary Daly. Daly was leading by a bowl and might have had two, but for missing the big corner. He might have survived that leniency, but then he missed up the short straight. Murphy grabbed the contest with a brilliant bowl out light from Din Tough’s and scored the line with his 15th bowl.

Timmy McDonagh claimed top-spot too in the Jim O’Driscoll Cup in a last shot win over Michael Murphy and Tim Young. That win came less than 24 hours after he had suffered defeat to Timmy Murphy in the Ballinacurra final, with Eoin O’Riordan third in that one.