Gribben beats Dempsey to win Ulster Junior A Bowling title 

Darragh Gribben claims the Ulster Junior A title in underwhelming fashion. Pic: Cathal Noonan

Darragh Gribben won Ulster’s first All-Ireland title of 2026 when he beat Darragh Dempsey in what turned into an anticlimactic finish to the All-Ireland junior A men’s final at Ballinagree.

This was a much heralded contest that looked to be shaping into a grandstand finish. Dempsey had led comfortably several times, but never established a winning lead. Gribben was back in a strong challenging position coming into the last quarter.

Dempsey played an exquisite 11th bowl past the quay wall. That gave him a good lead and what looked a critical psychological advantage as they approached the village. Everything changed in a flash when he aggravated an old knee injury delivering his next one. After a delay for medical attention he limped on, but the speed and conviction was gone from his bowls.

Gribben saw it out as required by rule, but the atmosphere and occasion had been robbed of its lightening. People came for real drama and were now witnessing necessary performative theatre.

Dempsey negotiated the first two shots to light past An Capaillín Bán better than Gribben and had a 12m lead looking up the rising road. Gribben’s third bowl landed in an indentation in the road surface and it took a dramatic hop left. Dempsey beat that well and extended his lead in the following exchanges.

His lead was hovering close to a bowl of odds up the straight. He looked to be edging ever closer to that goal till Gribben cut into the odds with a huge seventh bowl to the pink cottage. Dempsey responded with strong play and was almost a bowl in front again after a super ninth shot to the post office.

Gribben looked to be in trouble when he played a poor tenth bowl. Dempsey was well placed to make light at the quay wall, which would have given him an almost unassailable lead. He pitched his bowl right though and missed.

Gribben kept up the pressure with a good bowl to the quay wall. Dempsey hit back with a smashing one to light. When Gribben’s reply got a perfect rub, it looked all set for a brilliant finish.

All the promise evaporated when Dempsey broke down delivering his next one. He was still six metres fore, but he was clearly in trouble. He continued as best he could, but he could not get anywhere near his normal throwing. In the end Gribben won by almost a bowl.