Road bowling: Stokes powers past McDonagh to claim Munster intermediate title

Stokes led all the way and was full value for his two bowls of odds winning margin.

Paddy Stokes will play Ulster’s Pete Carr in next month’s All-Ireland final. Pic: Chani Anderson

Paddy Stokes is Munster intermediate bowling champion following a show of sheer power against Timmy McDonagh at Ballinagree.

He led all the way and was full value for his two bowls of odds winning margin. It puts him in a very elite club of bowlers who have won the Munster intermediate and junior A titles in successive years. It was a double disappointment for McDonagh though and he also lost out in the 2025 Munster intermediate final.

This contest was shaped by Stokes’s explosive start. Although his first bowl could be considered average, he followed with three top class bowls, especially his fourth one to Coakley’s lane. McDonagh held in there in the first three. He was just a metre behind after the opening shots and a big third one to Timmy Nuts had him within 30m of Stokes.

It all changed in metrics and psychology in the next exchange. McDonagh played what looked a great fourth bowl. Stokes hit back with a monster bowl that went all the way to Coakley’s lane.

That bowl not only put him almost a shot clear, but it seemed to unsettle McDonagh. To compound McDonagh’s challenge his fifth bowl got no joy off the bank at Coakley’s. He then saw Stokes drive another massive bowl 30m past An Capaillín Bán cross.

McDonagh missed that to concede a bowl of odds. His form then took a sharp dip so much so that he was two bowls and 100m behind after Stokes’ tenth shot past the pink house. That was his nadir though. He courageously recalibrated his bowling from there.

He showed more of the form that brought him to the final as he nibbled into Stokes’ lead. After 16 to the quay wall he had the lead just under two bowls. He continued to press and had the lead well under two bowls facing down into the village for the last shot.

Stokes had one last big arrow in his quiver though. He played a sensational 17th bowl past the line. It raced into the hollow and up the far side of the village, which was enough to secure his two bowls of odds win. He plays Ulster’s Pete Carr in next month’s All-Ireland final.