Road bowling: O’Shea on the road to All-Ireland final after taking Munster title

O'Shea raised almost a bowl with her first two towards Granure cross, taking advantage of a slow start from Sexton.

Lily O’Rourke will play O’Shea in the All-Ireland final.

Ailbhie O’Shea was sensational in her Munster intermediate women’s final win over Ellen Sexton at Ballinacarriga.

She raised almost a bowl with her first two towards Granure cross, taking advantage of a slow start from Sexton. She powered onto McSweeney’s in two more, where she was a full bowl clear.

She then beat a brilliant bowl from Sexton to the GAA cross. She continued that relentless surge with three more excellent bowls past Lynch’s bend to push her lead to almost two bowls. She raised the second bowl with her next one past Lynch’s.

Even then she was not content to sit back. She made light at the creamery cross with her ninth bowl. After her next one she was in the middle of the wall and the contest was over.

Lily O’Rourke will play O’Shea in the All-Ireland final. She won a tremendous joust with Shannon Maguire in the Ulster final at Keady-Tassagh. They were locked together to the creamery lane.

O’Rourke then played a sensational bowl to Gallogly’s to gain a 50m lead. She made a mistake at Twynam’s and Maguire cut the lead to 15m. A power-packed finish saw O’Reilly win by a bowl.

Clondrohid hosted a Munster U16 double header. The highlight was Méabh Cuinnea becoming only the second ever to complete the U16 and U18 girls Munster double.

In her win over Anna Deane she emulated the 2018 achievement of current Munster senior champion Hannah Sexton. On current form she looks well capable of joining Sexton at the pinnacle of the senior game before too long.

Jack Allen beat Culann Bourke in the last shot of the boys U16 final. That result handed the heartbreak of losing both the U16 and U18 finals to Bourke, who had already lost the U18 final to Gerald McDonagh.

In a week when Mayo are dominating the headlines, Bourke may, like them, look back on 2026 as a key moment in his career. Reaching both finals is in itself a massive accolade.

Allen established a firm early lead, which was essential to his win. He was a bowl up after two to the bark mulch. Bourke clicked into gear with a smart bowl past Tier Beg cross, but Allen beat it. Allen then got a massive fifth bowl light at the Black House to push his lead to almost two bowls.

Bourke got two big bowls in succession to the grotto to cut the lead to just under a bowl. He tested Allen in the next series of throws, but was never shrunk the lead enough. His 14th bowl veered left just short of the line and Allen beat it well with his reply.

Allen will play Johnny Campbell in the final, who is also a double provincial champion. He beat Jack O’Reilly in the U16 Ulster final, to add to his U18 success. He got to grips with O’Reilly to win the lead after three and had full light at Twynam’s in five. He raised a bowl at Gallogly’s and powered home for an impressive win.

Eoin O’Riordan is Munster veteran (over-50) champion ending Jimmy Collins’ run with an emphatic win at the Clubhouse. Collins opened with a big bowl to take the first tip, but his ambitions were quickly dampened by O’Riordan, whose second bowl made the post office. Collins did well to miss it by just 30m.

O’Riordan got two more big bowls to light at the chips. Collins was out in four, leaving a full shot between them. Collins knocked the bowl in the next exchange. The bowl of odds remained in play, till O’Riordan pushed clear from Murray’s to the end.

Ruaraí O’Reilly captured the Ulster junior B men’s title by almost a bowl from Ronan Toal at Keady-Tassagh. That win pits him against Munster champion Ger Connolly in next weekend’s All-Ireland final.

He dominated the score, though Toal led briefly at Twynam’s. Big shots into and away from the creamery lane put him a bowl clear. Toal levelled towards McCann’s. A super shot to the carnival gates gave O’Reilly 80m odds and another big one past McKee’s sealed his win.

Denise and Stephen Murphy beat Hannah and Michael Cronin by a bowl in the inaugural Brideswell Pattern score in south Roscommon. It was a super contest with both pairs leading well at the different stages. The decisive shift came when Michael Cronin missed light at the second last bend.

Phelim Rock won the Ulster U12 final at Madden, the venue for next month’s youth All-Irelands. He beat Aidan Toal by two bowls. A big shot to Barrett’s put him a bowl clear and he raised a second before the line.