Ruaraí O’Reilly finishes strong to edge Ger Connolly in All-Ireland men’s junior B final

Meanwhile, Johnny Campbell banished the disappointment of losing last month’s U18 final when he beat Jack Allen in the Boys U16 final

Picture: Cathal Noonan

Ruaraí O’Reilly finished stronger to edge past Ger Connolly in the road bowling All-Ireland men’s junior B final in Keady-Tassagh.

The standard of bowling was at the highest end of the spectrum for this grade. It was all to play for till a minor lapse by Connolly heading into the last quarter. Once the opportunity opened up for O’Reilly he seized it and held on for a convincing win, despite Connolly’s strong revival.

Connolly opened with a great bowl to take the first tip by 15m. He held the lead in the next two past the bus shelter. O’Reilly won his first lead with a great fourth bowl on the flat towards Twynam’s bend. Connolly regained the lead instantly with a stylish bowl that wound nicely around the bend.

O’Reilly rode his luck when his next bowl was wayward to the left, but he got a nice rub into the hollow. That bit of luck proved vital. Connolly was now in full flow. He played another great bowl into Gallogly’s height to hold his lead. They each played three big bowls in succession to go well up the hill past the creamery lane. Connolly led every tip and was 15m fore there.

O’Reilly played a great bowl from there towards the top of the height. Connolly was very tight right with his reply and was lucky to beat it by ten metres. O’Reilly regained the lead in the next shots up towards McCann’s and he would never be headed again.

Connolly wasn’t tight enough to the left bend at the top of the carnival straight. O’Reilly’s bowl took a similar trajectory, his bowl got a run that took it well down the straight, but It was still evenly poised.

Everything changed when Connolly was far too tight left with his next bowl and it hit a traffic cone. He was suddenly almost a bowl down. O’Reilly raised the bowl after two more and the rest of the score revolved around that lead. Connolly needed a slip from O’Reilly, which never came.

O’Reilly’s win puts Ulster on two wins, to Munster’s one, with three more ties on Sunday. The series will close with the senior men’s final between Colm Rafferty and Arthur McDonagh. 

The day opens with what promises to be a gripping veteran (over-50) contest between Ulster’s Johnny Kelly and Eoin O’Riordan. Munster champion Méabh Cuinnea will be bidding for her second All-Ireland of 2026 when she faces Connie Mallon in the girls U16 final.

Albhe O’Shea had Munster’s sole win in day one, but what a win it was. She finished with two exceptional bowls to snatch a bowl of odds victory from Lily O’Rourke in the women’s intermediate final. 

Johnny Campbell banished the disappointment of losing last month’s U18 final when he beat Jack Allen in the Boys U16 final.