IT was a day to remember for the Sexton sisters from Timoleague as they captured both the senior and junior Munster ladies’ titles at Bauravilla on Saturday – a rare and remarkable achievement for the close-knit bowling family.
In the senior decider, Hannah Sexton faced Togher’s Hannah Cronin for a €1,550 a-side stake. The pair were evenly matched early on with two great bowls each to the School, Cronin just edging ahead. But Sexton exploded into life with three massive bowls out the netting and was nearly a bowl up by Deckers.
Cronin did well to limit the damage, but Sexton’s sublime ninth out the rock raised almost two bowls, and her brilliant 12th out sight at the bridge put the gap beyond reach.
She now faces Kelly Mallon in a mouth-watering All-Ireland senior final clash at 11am on Sunday.
***
Back on the Bauravilla road, her younger sister Laura Sexton defeated Clondrohid’s Darcy O’Brien in the junior Munster final for a €3,000 a-side stake. O’Brien, playing her second Munster final of the week, put up a strong challenge.
Sexton raced out the bridge in three and extended her lead at O’Sullivan’s Cross. O’Brien threw a fantastic bowl out the rock and clawed her way back under the bowl. With two each out the netting, Sexton was over 50 metres ahead. O’Brien then delivered an incredible bowl past the avenue, and a slip from Sexton cut the odds to 30 metres. At Robins Cross, O’Brien’s bowl went right and missed; Sexton’s was also right, but a brilliant left-hand pull brought her out full light and raised the bowl again – a lead she held to the finish.
Laura now meets Rebecca Fields in the inaugural All-Ireland junior ladies’ final on Sunday at 12.30pm.
It’s rare to see two members of the same family win county titles in different grades on the same road. Well done to the Sextons – all five sisters have contested finals since eldest Katie won the South West U12 in 2011.
Hannah Sexton (senior winner), Laura Sexton (junior winner), Darcy O'Brien (junior runner-up) and Hannah Cronin (senior runner-up).
***
In the girls’ U18 All-Ireland at Castletown, Emma Hurley (Drinagh) defeated Darcy O’Brien (Clondrohid) for a €1,500-a-side stake. Hurley’s opening 200m shot raised the bowl, but O’Brien responded with a brilliant third to knock it. At the Hollies, O’Brien had reduced the odds to 30 metres. Hurley regained control at Dommo’s House before O’Brien narrowed the gap again. A strong finish from Hurley saw her over the line in two to book her place in the All-Ireland final.
***
Bantry hosted a Friday double-header. Shane Crowley (Schull) retained his U18 county title, beating Cathal Creedon (Ballyvourney) by two bowls. Creedon opened with a big one to McSweeney’s Avenue, but Crowley took over with massive second, third, and fourth shots. He went sight at Cronin’s in six, extending his lead to two bowls and finishing well before the line.
Crowley now joins the elite list of back-to-back U18 winners: Jim O’Driscoll (73/74), James Buckley (83/84), Donnacha O’Brien (93–95), Johnny Murphy (98–00), Thomas Buckley (07/08), and Wayne Parkes (19/20). He’ll hope to go one better and claim All-Ireland honours against Eoghan McVeigh.
***
In the U14 final, Eoghan Kelly (Macroom) overcame last year’s All-Ireland U12 champ Fionán Twohig (Rossmore). Twohig opened with a huge bowl, but Kelly’s response – three high-quality shots past Cronin’s Cross – gave him a two-bowl lead. Twohig battled hard and limited the damage, but Kelly travels north this weekend to meet Emmet O’Reilly in the All-Ireland showdown.
***
At Ballinacurra, the Christmas 9-man Junior A tournament final saw Timmy Murphy (Ballyclough) beat Timmy McDonagh (Fermoy) and Eoin O’Riordan (Macroom) for a €600 total stake. O’Riordan was a bowl down at Brinny Cross, McDonagh 40 metres up on Murphy. But Murphy delivered a huge bowl to the Waterworks to take the lead, followed by another to the Gas Line to raise a bowl on McDonagh and pull clear of O’Riordan. He held his advantage through the bridge and down the home straight to secure a well-earned win.
After the Carbery Novice D final at Schull, Sean O'Neill (runner-up), Denis O'Sullivan (Carbery Region Chairman), Gary Coughlan (cup sponsor) and Cathal O'Sullivan (winner).
***
With the second series of All-Ireland county scores now complete, attention turns to the Junior C and Novice regional finals ahead of the final All-Ireland series in Drogheda this September. Recent regional finals:
Junior C at Firmount: Conor Lucey beat Stephen Murphy.
Novice A: Paul O’Brien beat Shane O’Hara (at Clashmore); John Connolly beat Gearoid McCarthy (at Timoleague).
Novice B: Tommy O’Donoghue beat Sean Moylan (at Ballinagree); David Minihane beat Darren Whooley (at Leap); Anthony Broderick beat James Kelleher (at Templemartin); Kenneth O’Brien beat Joe Creedon (at Macroom).
Novice C: Barry Coughlan beat Dylan Galvin (at Templemartin); Billy Healy beat Stephen Spillane (at Bweeng).
Novice D: Mark Bourke (Jnr) beat Pat Fitz (at Beal na Marbh); David Kidney beat Eoin Leahy (at The Bog Road); Cathal O’Sullivan beat Sean O’Neill (at Schull).
***
Most regions have wrapped up their 2025 championships and will focus on winter tournaments.
The next big date on the calendar is the King and Queen of the Roads, second only to Armagh in prestige. Draws for the Queen of the Roads were recently made:
Queen of the Roads draw: Triona Kidney v Denise Murphy, at Grenagh (August 9th); Megan Collins v Emma Fitzpatrick, at The Clubhouse (August 4th); Veronica O’Mahony v Juliet Murphy, at Beal Na Marbh (August 4th); Hannah Cronin v Kidney/Murphy winner – venue TBC.
King of the Roads qualifiers also got underway. Mick Barry Cup: Aidan Murphy edged Gary Daly with a last-shot win for €10,000 a-side. James O’Donovan beat Martin Coppinger and Patrick Flood (€4,500 stake). Jim O’Driscoll Cup: Timmy McDonagh beat Michael Murphy, who had earlier beaten Tim Young (total €4,250 stake).
