Kelly Mallon absence blows All-Ireland women's road bowling title race wide open

Kelly Mallon's appeal runs well beyond the sport of bowling. Her appearance in major competitions attracts a huge numbers of spectators. Pic: Dan Linehan

Kelly Mallon, the most decorated player in the history of Irish road bowling, will not defend her Ulster or All-Ireland senior titles.

The 12-time All-Ireland senior champion and current All-Ireland and Queen of the Roads holder, was unable to complete her Ulster championship schedule. Due to a backlog of fixtures and her own commitments, she was forced to concede her title without throwing a shot. This is certainly a case of Hamlet without the Prince.

It would be the equivalent of Kerry lining out without a fully fit David Clifford. Mallon’s achievements are unparalleled. No other bowler in the history of the game, including the likes of Mick Barry and Michael Toal, can equal her record. Her appeal runs well beyond the sport of bowling. When she appears in any major competition she attracts huge numbers of spectators, many of whom have only a passing knowledge of the game.

Mallon is still an automatic qualifier for Queen of the Roads. In her absence the Ulster title was won by Dervla Toal-Mallon, who won the 2024 All-Ireland title. She beat last year’s All-Ireland intermediate champion, Gemma McCann, in a two-leg Ulster final. Toal-Mallon is a big player in her own right, but would not have the drawing power of Kelly Mallon.

Injury forced Kelly Mallon out of the 2024 championship and Toal-Mallon swept to the Ulster and All-Ireland titles in her absence. She will be contesting her sixth senior title in Ballinagree and is also a former European bronze medallist.

Munster finalists, Hannah Sexton and Denise Murphy, will feel their chances of All-Ireland success will be enhanced by Mallon’s absence. They contest the Munster final over the All-Ireland course at Ballinagree next Sunday. This could be a cracker with Sexton defending her title against the most tenacious competitor in women’s bowling.

Sexton is the big name in Munster bowling. This is her third successive provincial final. She narrowly lost to Geraldine Curtain in 2024. In 2025 she was at her supreme best against Hannah Cronin in the Munster final at Bauravilla. Likewise in 2022 she won her first Munster senior in record bowling at Ballincurrig. Both times though Mallon ended her All-Ireland dreams.

Denise Murphy relishes the big stage and the bigger the challenge the better she performs. In the 2022 All-Ireland intermediate final at Newtownhamilton she gave a performance for the ages. She completely blitzed a highly rated Shannon Maguire. That next Sunday’s final has a lot of downhill, will be right in her wheelhouse too.