MÉABH Cuinnea is All-Ireland women’s U18 champion.

The Rosscarbery bowler – who has won Munster titles at U12, U14 and U16 level – can now add an All-Ireland crown to her impressive collection.

Up against Megan O’Reilly, this was a reverse of their 2024 All-Ireland meeting when Cuinnea lost the U16 All-Ireland at Eglish in Tyrone.

At Ballinagree on Saturday, Cuinnea got off to a blistering start on the outward route from the village. Three incredible bowls to the end of the new houses mean she had 100 metres of odds. She followed up with another sensational bowl, just short of sight at the Quay Wall.

O’Reilly did well to keep it under the bowl here, but Cuinnea replied with another smashing bowl that cut the left bend and got a big touch off the right dyke. O’Reilly missed this to fall a bowl down.

From the Pink Cottage onwards, Ulster champion O’Reilly found her groove and lined some perfect shots, but Cuinnea followed and beat them to hold an even bowl at the falling pole.

Two uncharacteristic errors from Cuinnea – both extremely right of the sop – and suddenly this score was going to a last shot.

O’Reilly lined her bowl well but just fell short of the finish line. Cuinnea steadied herself and played a perfect shot down the centre to take the title.

All-Ireland U18 champion Méabh Cuinnea celebrates with the cup. (Photo: Gretta Cormican)

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Cuinnea’s success meant that Munster took the opening two scores of the weekend, as Gerald McDonagh also beat Johnny Campbell in the men’s U18 All-Ireland final. McDonagh, who got off to a scorching start by raising a bowl of odds after three shots, finished strong to beat the line comfortably with his last to win by a bowl.

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There was disappointment for Darragh Dempsey in the All-Ireland junior A final when an old knee injury hampered the Skibbereen bowler’s finish.

He played Darragh Gribben for a phenomenal stake of €30,000 a-side.

Dempsey was in command from the off, but failed on a few occasions to put the score beyond Gribben’s reach. After two each through An Capaillín Ban Cross, Dempsey held ten metres of odds. Despite a poor third and fourth from Gribben, Dempsey didn’t pull away – he only held odds of 40 metres.

Gribben’s fifth was one of his better efforts, and Dempsey beat this again by the same margin. At the Pink Cottage, Dempsey put big odds on Gribben’s tip and looked to be after settling into this score.

Past the Post Office in nine, Dempsey held a 100-metre advantage. After Gribben’s tenth bowl veered off right, Dempsey was also very right. Now, nothing separated them.

Gribben went out of sight of the Quay Wall while Dempsey cut the bend and got a valuable touch into the Quay Wall. Gribben could do very little from where he was, but he got a nice run off the right dyke. But from here, Dempsey’s trouble started. He pulled his hamstring with his next delivery and only beat the tip by six metres.

The Skibb bowler was incredibly unlucky to get injured in the last quarter of this epic junior A final. After some medical attention, play continued. But Dempsey was clearly hampered.

Gribben got a big bowl to the White Wall but Dempsey just could not run into his bowls and missed the tip to give Gribben his first lead. After two more throws, there was almost a bowl of odds in it. Gribben raised the bowl at Robins Lock and beat the finish line with his next.

Hannah Sexton in action in the All-Ireland senior women's final. (Photo: Gretta Cormican)

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Hannah Sexton’s wait for the senior ladies All-Ireland title goes on.

On Sunday she played Dervla Mallon-Toal, who was competing in her tenth senior All-Ireland final and going for a sixth title. They played for a stake of €7,000 a-side.

Three-time Munster champ Sexton took the first shot, and Mallon the next two past the white wall where she had 50 metres of odds. Sexton got a massive fourth shot to the end of the new houses that won her back the lead by six metres.

After two more out around the quay wall, Mallon won back the lead again by three metres. When Sexton lined a perfect seventh well past the post office, fans thought it was sure to win back the lead again but Mallon hit a perfect shot down the middle and beat the tip by 15 metres.

Timoleague bowler Sexton followed up with another excellent shot. Mallon missed this one by ten metres. After eight shots, the lead had swapped hands five times.

Mallon got a super bowl past the Pink Cottage, and while Sexton lined hers well, it fell left. Mallon was back in front again. It was hard to believe that Sexton wouldn’t lead again in this final.

At the junior line in two more, Mallon was throwing her odds over 30 metres. After 12 shots each facing down for An Capaillín Ban Cross, only 20 metres separated them, Mallon in the lead.

The next shots were the deciding factor of the score. Sexton's bowl turned in left and got no run off the dyke. In fact, it caught a stone and stopped dead. Mallon took a different line and made it down through An Capaillín Ban cross with an excellent shot. Sexton played her next very well but only beat the tip by 25 metres, as Mallon went over the finish line in two more to take the title.

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Paddy Stokes was back in another All-Ireland final, having lost the junior A to Conor McGuigan in 2025. His opponent last weekend in the intermediate final was Pete Carr. They played for an astronomical stake of €41,000 a-side, with Stokes a major favourite. In a score that never got going, Stokes finished the stronger to take the title.

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The junior ladies final was just introduced in 2025, and last weekend we saw Munster’s Rachel Desmond up against Ulster’s Alice Mackle. They played for a stake of €10,000 a-side, with Mackle taking the favourites tag. Indeed, it was a trap-to-line victory for Mackle, who won by a bowl of odds.