Road Bowling looking ahead to 2026 season after another exciting year

ON TO 2026: Armagh footballer Kelly Mallon (Ulster) in action during the semi-final of the Kingston New Homes Queen of the Roads at the King and Queen of the Roads road bowling festival at Ballincurrig, Co Cork. Pic: Dan Linehan.

Road Bowling has psychologically abandoned 2025. All the grading is done and championship 2026 has gone straight to item number one on the agenda.

In women’s bowling speculation rages on who can break Kelly Mallon’s iron grip on the All-Ireland and the duopoly she shares with Silke Tulk on the international stage.

At home Mallon has dominated for at least the last decade. In her early career both Catriona O’Farrell-Kidney and Carmel Ryan-Carey were able to go with her stride-for-stride, but over time she moved ahead. In 2025 she won her 12th senior All-Ireland and her eighth Queen of the Roads.

The only other bowler that has consistently challenged her is Silke Tulk. Between them they have won every single Queen of the Roads since 2009, except for 2013 when Carmel Carey interrupted their sequence. They are the platinum standard. But no reign lasts forever, so who is likely to displace them, especially Mallon in the All-Ireland race?

If we go by 2025, then Hannah Sexton is her closest rival in Munster. She gave a stunning display in the Munster senior final at Bauravilla against Hannah Cronin. She was equally impressive in her dismissal of Denise Murphy in the semi-final at Terelton. But when it came to the All-Ireland final it was totally different.

Mallon was at the top of the hill in Keady-Tassagh in two throws. The sheer power, confidence and technique she displayed was awesome. Sexton bounced back to give Tulk plenty of trouble for the early part of their Queen semi-final. So she is closing the gap, but is it enough to win the 2026 All-Ireland?

In Munster Hannah Cronin has shown flashes of excellence, Ciara Buckley was very impressive in Bottlehill recently, Veronica O’Mahony is always at the business end of things, Maria Nagle and Claire O’Sullivan both have European credentials so they should be capable of stepping up too.

But if Mallon is fully fit and tuned-in it is very difficult to see her being derailed in 2026. Unless she comes unstuck in Ulster against Dervla Toal-Mallon, the 2024 senior champion, or Gemma McCann who was brilliant in the All-Ireland intermediate final.

There is a Covid-19 dividend too in women’s bowling. Laura Sexton, Darcy O’Brien and Emma Hurley are three exceptional talents. Could one of them be Munster’s next All-Ireland senior champion or European gold medallist. Kelly Mallon started rocking the world in 2007 when she was still U18.

In men’s bowling, Micheál Desmond had a comprehensive win over Kieran Murphy in the Paddy Murray Cup at Ballygurteen. Murphy made a promising start by winning the first tip by 10m, but it was all Desmond after that. Desmond took the second tip by 30m and gained a decisive lead by opening the first bend with his third. Murphy missed out in three.

Desmond piled on the pressure with a brilliant fourth shot past Dullea’s. Murphy missed that with his fifth throw to fall a full bowl behind. Desmond increased his lead to well over a bowl after two more to the women’ lane. He was just short of the avenue in another throw, which pushed him almost two bowls clear. He raised the second bowl with his next one.

The lead hovered around two bowls along the straight. Desmond got a nice rub with his 11th bowl past the coffee shop. Murphy just beat that with his 14th to fall almost three behind. Desmond made light at O’Donovan’s with his next one to keep his lead close to three. In the same competition Jimmy O’Driscoll beat Liam Murphy by two bowls.

David Hegarty beat Cillian Kelleher by two bowls of odds in the Ballinacurra tournament. He gained the advantage early on to go almost a bowl in front at Brinny cross. He went on to raise a full bowl at Foley’s and was over two in front at the gas line. He held control of the score and his lead from there.

Shane O’Mahony won the Schull final by a bowl of odds over Aaron Barry. David Walsh beat Diarmuid Hurley in the Shannonvale tournament final by two bowl. He raised an early bowl of odds and added a second at Kingston’s.

Eoin and Emma Hurley beat Gavin Harrington and Laura Sexton by bowl at Lyre. They gained the upper hand by racing almost two bowls clear to the first bend. Harrington and Sexton rallied strongly to cut the lead to an even bowl at the school.

They clipped the lead to less than a bowl at Harte’s, but got no closer.