Road bowling: Rafferty brothers claim superb Easter double

Ethan Rafferty from Armagh had a suprisingly facile win over the Easter weekend.

Brothers Colm and Ethan Rafferty had a magnificent double at Ból-Fada at Keady-Tassagh over the Easter weekend.

Younger brother, Colm, retained the Joe McVeigh Cup with a solid win over Arthur McDonagh in the feature on Sunday. On Saturday, current All-Ireland champion, Ethan, had a surprisingly easy win over Gary Daly.

Those two wins over what will be the All-Ireland final course in August, is a big boost for Ulster hopes of winning five-in-a-row. To bolster their ambitions, current All-Ireland intermediate champion, Gene McVeigh, saw off Timmy McDonagh to indicate that he is well up for the challenge in the premier grade too Sisters Hannah and Ellen Sexton, defied the excesses of Storm Dave on Saturday to see off Dervla Toal-Mallon and Gemma McCann in one of the more positive wins for Munster. Emma Hurley made it a perfect weekend for Munster women by beating Ellie-Mae Carr on the Viaduct Road. Shane Crowley’s win over Aaron Hughes was another Munster plus.

Darragh Gribben is now one of Ulster’s most exciting talents. He beat Brian O’Driscoll in a contest that ultimately went to a last shot. The big talking point was Gribben’s sensational speed and his win over Colm Rafferty the previous weekend on the Cathedral Road.

In the Joe McVeigh Cup, McDonagh opened with a sensational bowl to comfortably take the first tip. He didn’t drive home that early advantage and Rafferty was level after five to Twynam’s bend. Rafferty won his first lead at the foot of Gillogly’s height.

McDonagh regained the lead and consolidated his advantage with a big shot to the creamery lane. Rafferty defied expectation with a massive bowl past the lane up to Dooley’s. He built on this to go well clear to McCann’s and was in control till his bowl hit a grating on the run to the carnival gates.

That had McDonagh level but he didn’t follow up. Rafferty raised a bowl again at the creamery stand and held it into McKee’s wall. McDonagh gave himself a small chance with a brilliant bowl to the bridge. Rafferty passed that test by getting the full bridge with his reply to hold his bowl of odds and guarantee victory.

Ethan Rafferty and Gary Daly were level for the first three past the bus shelter. Daly’s fourth got no rub. Rafferty’s reply glanced at a perfect angle and ran to the start of Twynam’s corner. He followed with another miler around the bend to Twynam’s cottage, which put him a bowl clear.

He raised a second bowl with his tenth shot to the top of McGeown’s height. He gave Daly some false hope when he misdirected his next one into Hughe’s lane. He cancelled that slip with a brilliant bowl past McCann’s that put him two clear again and ended the contest.

Shane Crowley made an explosive start with four huge bowls to the carnival gates to raise a bowl on Aaron Hughes. His form dipped in the next three to McCann’s where he led by just 13m. He regained momentum over McGeown’s height, but Hughes levelled again with a big shot to the creamery lane. They were on the same tip after the shots to and from Twynam’s cottage.

Hughes made a mistake with his bowl from Twynam’s corner and Crowley looked to have a big advantage. On this course almost no lead is safe coming around the last bend. Hughes forced a last shot. Crowley’s last bowl veered onto the right bank and just beat the line.

Brian O’Driscoll nearly rescued his contest with Darragh Gribben too in that closing sequence. It could be a big factor in the August All-Ireland series, especially as there is now no run for bowls that cannon off the kerb at the last bend.

Pete Carr broke the deadlock with Tim Young with a big shot down the carnival straight. A mistake to McKee’s wall compounded things for Young.

On Friday Anthony Gould showed his class in partnership with Michael Murphy for a clear win over Paul O’Reilly and Ronan McClelland. Kevin Ó Crualaoí and Eoin McCarthy rallied from a bowl down to beat Padraig Nugent and Danny Carragher.

Munster and Ulster tied on five wins each over the three days.

In Munster the South-West festival at Lyre provided a feast of 19 scores over the weekend. In the Denny Griffin and Frankie Coughlan Cup final at Schull Martin Collins beat Tom McCarthy and Kevin Courtney.

Noel O’Regan beat Liam Murphy in the last shot in the Tim Foley Cup at Templemartin. At the Ted Hegarty Academy on the Phale Road Matty McDonagh beat Fionnán O’Dwyer and Zack Collins in the U8 final ENDS