Road bowling: O'Riordan takes veteran final, mother-daughter duo make history

Connie Mallon was following her mother, Dervla, who had taken the All-Ireland senior women’s crown in Ballinagree, becoming the only mother and daughter to win All-Ireland finals in the same year. 

All-Ireland U16 champion Connie Mallon with her mother Dervla - All-Ireland senior champion.

Eoin O’Riordan led all the way for a decisive win over Johnny Kelly in the All-Ireland men’s road bowling veteran final at Keady-Tassagh.

That win tied the series on two each but Ulster edged ahead of Munster again when Connie Mallon won the Girls U16 final against Méabh Cuinnea.

That win completed a unique mother-daughter double. 

Mallon was following her mother, Dervla, who had taken the All-Ireland senior women’s crown in Ballinagree, becoming the only mother and daughter to win All-Ireland finals in the same year. 

It also denied Cuinnea completing an All-Ireland double; she is reigning All-Ireland U18 champion.

O’Riordan was on the offensive from the off in the veteran final. He beat Kelly’s first bowl by 30m and kept similar odds in the next two up past the bus shelter. 

Neither player ignited in the shots to Twynam’s bend, but O’Riordan’s good sixth one past the bend gave him a launching pad to push clear.

Two good bowls in succession, first up Gillogly’s height and then towards the creamery lane had O’Riordan a bowl clear. Kelly kept things under control with a great bowl to the creamery lane, but he was now under real pressure.

From the lane O’Riordan was into the dip before McCann’s in two. He was now edging towards a second bowl, but Kelly was also digging in. O’Riordan kept his foot on the gas though and was past the line in three more.

Connie Mallon was on song from first to last shot in the U16 final. She opened the contest with a classy bowl tight left, which gave her the first tip by 40m. She never left a chink of light for Cuinnea to exploit from there to the finish.

She was just shy of the creamery lane in three monster shots. Cuinnea did well to keep with that pace. The gap closed in the shots past the lane. Mallon continued to hold the upper hand in the next two, but Cuinnea was staying in hot pursuit.

Mallon’s only minor slip was with her seventh bowl. She played it across to the right and it was accidently stopped. Her lead was now cut to just five metres. Normal service resumed in the next exchange.

Mallon comprehensively beat a super throw from Cuinnea over Gillogly’s height. Cuinnea’s next bowl was perfectly played in the left track and had the speed to cause problems, but it clipped in left. 

Instead of landing a significant blow, she was suddenly a bowl down.

Mallon now closed in on her historic title. She held her bowl of odds out Twynam’s bend. She found a higher gear down the straight towards the bus shelter. There was nothing Cuinnea could do to get back into contention.

The men’s All-Ireland senior final between Ulster’s Colm Rafferty and Munster’s Arthur McDonagh will close the series later today