THE future of road bowling is in safe hands, having witnessed the wonderful turnout for the inaugural U14 and U12 boys’ and girls’ individual and team All-Irelands at Madden, Armagh over the past weekend.

Fifty-five boys and girls took part in the team events, as Munster took three out of the four titles.

Ulster won the boys’ U14 crown with a score of 2,843 metres, ahead of Munster in second place, 100 metres behind at 2,743m. Munster won the girls’ U14 title with a score of 2,017m, with Ulster in second with 1,958m.

Munster won the boys’ U12 title with a score of 2,179m, from Ulster with a score of 2,140m, while Munster also won the girls’ U12 with a score of 1,881 metres, ahead of Ulster with 1,633m.

Four individual titles were also up for grabs. The inaugural girls’ U12 and girls’ U14 finals were played on Sunday morning. First up we had Ciara Harrington from Bantry playing Eva Mallon from the Tullysaren club.

History was going to be made, as this was the first All-Ireland for U12 and U14 girls, so one of these girls was going to be the first U12 All-Ireland winner.

Both started well but Harrington lost huge ground when her second shot was too tight left at McArdle’s Wall. Both went up past the shop to Sweeties in two more where Harrington had 40 metres. After two more each up the school hill, Harrington got a big touch off the kerbing and had 70 metres of odds. She raised the bowl after two more to Barrett’s bend.

Mallon got a super shot out of Pipe’s Corner that knocked the bowl of odds by ten metres. Harrington had 80 metres after her next but Mallon was not giving up and lined up another super bowl at the Bus Shelter. Harrington made the straight road and was throwing her odds over 20 metres.

Harrington missed down to the Cottages while Mallon had an incredible shot down and around that gave her a first lead of eight metres. Harrington threw a super bowl to beat the line, but Mallon lined her bowl well and got a touch off the right dyke to beat the tip by five metres to take her grandfather’s cup, the Aidan Toal Cup. She joined her mum Dervla (senior ladies winner) and sister Connie (U16 winner) to take a third All-Ireland title to the Mallon house in the same year. Truly, a very unique achievement for an individual sport.

All-Ireland U14 champion Nicola Hurley celebrates her success in Armagh with her family and relations.

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Back on the course we had the inaugural girls’ U14 final between Nicola Hurley from Drimoleague up against Lucey Lennon from the Tullysaren club.

After two shots each past the cottage Lennon had 15 metres of odds. Hurley took her first lead, by one metre, with her third shot. Two more each out to the Bus Shelter and Lennon was back in front by seven metres, as Hurley’s bowl was very left. Her next was very left again and of the short order.

Lennon threw a super bowl to Pipes bend that Hurley missed to fall a bowl of odds down. Hurley had the gap back under the bowl at Barrett’s bend and a slip from Lennon with her ninth gave Hurley the chance she was waiting for – she lined the perfect tenth shot that Lennon only beat by ten metres. It was all to play for with four shots to go.

Hurley followed up with another super bowl down past the School to full sight, Lennon followed this but missed the tip by 20 metres. Lennon got a great bowl past the shop and a blunder from Hurley, when her bowl caught the shop wall, meant she was behind again.

The West Cork teen recovered well with a super 13th past the Church Yard entrance that Lennon beat by five metres. Hurley was extremely lucky with her next; it was very tight at McArdle’s wall but she got away with it. Lennon missed this by ten metres and beat the line with her 15th shot, while Hurley’s bowl fell right and rolled over the mark by five metres.

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In the afternoon, the boys’ U12 final between Charlie Callanan, from Farrenree, and Phelim Rock from the Newton Club was played back out. Here, Rock just came out on top thanks to a superb last shot that beat the finish line by 30 metres.

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Last up we had the boys’ U14 All-Ireland final, as Fionán Twohig from Rossmore took on Daithi Cahill from the Tullysaren club. After two each past the Cottages, Twohig had ten metres of odds. Cahill enjoyed a great next, with Twohig very much off the sop to the right. Both reached the Bus Shelter in four each with Twohig back in front by 12 metres and on straighter road.

Cahill got a great bowl from a poor stand at the Bus Shelter but Twohig lined a beauty to beat the tip by 100 metres and followed up with another huge bowl to Barrett’s bend where he had a bowl of odds.

Cahill got a super bowl past the school sign but Twohig lined another fantastic bowl that raised big odds with the bowl for him. Cahill’s tenth was unlucky to go in the weak patch of the kerbing. Twohig caught the kerbing perfectly and made the community entrance.

When Cahill made a great effort for McArdle’s Wall, a twist was to come as Twohig totally misplaced his 11th into McArdle’s Yard and suddenly his odds were back to a bare bowl. Cahill’s 12th was a phenomenal shot that cut up McArdle’s Wall and went and beat the finish line. Twohig’s 11th effort went left and he had to throw a last shot for it – he played his bowl well but it fell right and beat the tip by ten metres.

On his way to All-Ireland glory, Twohig, representing the South West, beat Eoghan Kelly by almost a bowl of odds in the Munster final.

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After a hiatus of ten years, and with Covid thrown into the mix, the Jerry Desmond Cup Final, in memory of Jerry Desmond, a former chairman of Ból Chumann, was played at Grange between Johnny O’Driscoll and Gavin Twohig. They played for a stake of €4,450 a side.

This was Twohig’s third appearance in this final having previously lost to Pa Butler in Lyre in 2005 and to David Murphy in Grange in 2010. It was third time lucky, as he had a trap-to-line win over O’Driscoll in this Grange inward route.

After three each to the stud-farm bend and where O’Driscoll got a huge third shot to make this juncture, Twohig had 20 metres of odds. A poor fourth for O’Driscoll, but he recovered well with two huge bowls past De Barra’s where Twohig held odds of 25 metres.

O’Driscoll’s seventh down the school hill to the green looked like taking the lead but Twohig again beat this tip. A disastrous eight from O’Driscoll caught Hegarty’s wall but again he recovered well with a huge ninth to the dirty passage that Twohig beat by two metres.

Two more past John Bill’s for both and O’Driscoll just could not get his nose in front. O’Driscoll got a huge bowl past Noelie’s bungalow and Twohig beat this by half a metre. O’Driscoll’s form dipped from here to the finish, Twohig raised a bowl at Seamie’s Wall and held it to the pub and finally got his hands on the Desmond Cup.