McDonagh delivers near perfection to seal All-Ireland road bowling title

The Fermoy, Co Cork man was flawless from start to finish. His bowls were off the scale for speed, he was accurate and determined in the senior decider against Armagh's Colm Rafferty

Eventual champion Arthur McDonagh in action in the 2026 Senior Mens All Ireland in Keady Tassagh, Armagh. Pic: Paul Stack

Arthur McDonagh is back on top of the tree in Irish road bowling after a compelling victory over Colm Rafferty at Keady-Tassagh in Armagh on Sunday.

Was there ever an All-Ireland performance to top McDonagh’s bowling? He was flawless from start to finish. His bowls were off the scale for speed, he was accurate and determined – he shaved the left, he shaved the right, he played the middle, nothing was beyond him and no challenge went unanswered.

He led from the off, but his first two bowls to the bus shelter were nothing compared to what came next. He beat Rafferty’s exceptional third bowl onto the straight. Rafferty hit back with a great fourth one towards Twynam’s bend.

McDonagh’s reply would stand comparison with any of the great bowls that ever shaped an All-Ireland or any serious competition. He played his bowl, low and fast, kissing the grit on the bare right dyke and on it went off a perfect cushion out and around Twynam’s bend.

To Rafferty’s credit he had the composure to hit back with a fine fifth bowl to keep the lead under a bowl. Even now after four shots, a marker had been planted. It would take an unbelievable performance from Rafferty to keep in touch.

McDonagh was well up Gillogly’s after his fifth and a bowl of odds clear. Rafferty’s first chance to get back into came for his seventh and he nailed it. He looked certain to make the creamery lane in eight. McDonagh looked to be too far back to make it.

This was not the day for flinching. McDonagh played another exceptional bowl to the end of the lane. It was Rafferty who missed and now the lead was hovering close to two bowls. The shock and awe was not over yet. Another unreal bowl into the dip facing up to McCann’s raised second bowl.

Rafferty was now in damage limitation. McDonagh made the top of the carnival straight in ten, where he was close to three in front. Rafferty got a huge bowl to the bottom of the straight. McDonagh hit back with a bigger one. Rafferty’s next bowl hit a grate and bounced over the fence. Enough was enough. He magnanimously shook McDonagh’s hands.

The series ended with three wins each for Munster and Ulster. For Munster it was McDonagh, Eoin O’Riordan in the veteran final and Albhe O’Shea in the intermediate women. Ruaraí O’Reilly won the men’s junior B and Ulster had an U16 double with Johnny Campbell winning the boys and Connie Mallon the girls.

Every All-Ireland is worthy to stand on its own, but if pushed to come up with a top three after McDonagh as undisputed number one, then close contenders would be O’Shea’s and Mallon’s wins.

O’Shea oozed character in her plucky win over Lily O’Rourke in the intermediate women’s final. She looked to be gaining the edge several times, but O’Rourke always found a way to get back into it. O’Rourke did even better from Twynam’s bend home. A big shot up the straight cut the lead to a metre and then she won a five metre lead after a sensational third last.

O’Shea then showed remarkable composure. She took on a technically demanding bowl tight right around the notorious last wind. It was perfect in accuracy and speed and hit the target of making light. O’Rourke took two to beat it.

Even then victory was not totally clinched. Doubts were quickly dispatched with a sensational bowl from O’Shea that beat the line. Having lost the lead two shots earlier and to still storm home by a bowl of odds took incredible mental and physical effort. Few All-Irelands have been won more courageously.

Connie Mallon’s win deserves honourable mention both for its history making and for her own performance. Joining her mother, Dervla, who is senior champion, on the All-Ireland roll in the same year is both unique and extraordinary. That she beat Méabh Cuinnea, who won the U18 last month and is a hot prospect to be a future senior champion, adds to its currency.

Ruaraí O’Reilly won a high quality men’s junior B final against Ger Connolly. Connolly was bowling sublimely for two-thirds of this, only conceding one tip in the first ten. Even after O’Reilly won the lead with a great 11th to the dip before McCann’s it looked set for a last shot finish.

It might have too, but for a single slip by Connolly. He was far too tight left with his 13th bowl at the top of the carnival straight. It hit a traffic cone and stopped dead. The damage was done O’Reilly had almost a bowl and there was no stopping him.

Eoin O’Riordan led all the way for a decisive win over Johnny Kelly in the men’s veteran final. It took two good bowls in succession, first up Gillogly’s height and then towards the creamery lane to give him a bowl of odds cushion. Two big shots to the dip before McCann’s had him almost two clear and there was no way back for Kelly.

Johnny Campbell led all the way to a comprehensive win over Jack Allen in the Boys U16 final. A poor start had Allen on the back foot from the off. He threatened at times, but Campbell always had the capacity to hold out. It was sweet redemption for Campbell who lost the U18 final last month.