SEXTON PUSHES KLOPPER ALL THE WAY

As the King and Queen of the Roads were crowned at Ballincurrig on Sunday, the action lived up to its billing. Fans were treated to two classic finals

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KING ARTHUR TAKES SECOND CROWN

The King final contested by Arthur McDonagh and Colm Rafferty who both stood at one title each, Rafferty winning 2024 while McDonagh was the reigning champion looking to defend his crown, the stake at issue was €600 a-side. Rafferty took the first two shots of this final, they both made the no-play line in three more were McDonagh held fifteen meters of odds, after two more onto the long straight McDonagh held only ten meters, nothing separating them only waiting for one to make a slip. Rafferty was back in front with an incredible eight shot that covered the whole straight and up to Leahy’s full sight. Both missed the big corner with their next with Rafferty holding a twenty five meter lead. Rafferty held this odds in two more up the short straight full sight again, McDonagh’s twelfth crossed left and only made Din Toughs, and Rafferty put fifty meters on this tip. McDonagh’s thirteenth fell left, back of the Serpent and Rafferty could have finished the score here but his bowl went left also only twenty meters fore bowl, McDonagh went well around the last bend, Rafferty missed this and his last bowl was always going left and caught in the bend past the finish line, McDonagh had no bother in beating this to take his second crown.

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HANNAH SEXTON PRODUCES IMPRESSIVE DISPLAY BEFORE ANKE KLOPPER CLAIMS THE QUEEN CROWN.

The Queen final was something special played between Anke Klopper from Germany and Hannah Sexton from Timoleague put on a show, they played for a stake of €3,500 a-side, with Sexton taking the favourites tag.

Sexton went well down sight in her first shot and Klopper got caught left peeping sight, Klopper second shot was tight left and she got an incredible bowl that Sexton beat by twenty five meters. Klopper’s third was another huge bowl to Din Tough’s, but Sexton was equally as good and made the muddy gap, another phenomenal shot followed from Klopper given little chance of opening sight at the top of the short straight, but she was pin straight over the sop and made half way down the short straight, four incredible bowls, Sexton fourth went sight also but had a huge bowl to make the bottom of the short straight. Sexton fifth went right and she was caught slightly behind the big corner, Klopper’s fifth swung around the bend straight road and forty meters in front. Sexton made Leahy’s Wall in two more keeping it under the bowl of odds. Sexton followed huge bowls down the long straight to O’Riordan’s still keeping it under the bowl of odds. After two more big bowls from Klopper past the no-paly line, Sexton had it well under the bowl of odds as she made the Pony Gate. Kloppers eleventh was off the charts, an astronomical shot all the way down to the green, a slip from Sexton when she was too tight left and got caught to fall a huge bowl of odds down. Klopper made the Black Sign in two more holding her bowl advantage, the record of the road has been held by Silke Tulk for a few years, fourteen shots to the middle of Moor’s avenue, Klopper wanted to do better and this she done when she made the school sign, to take her first title in fourteen years of trying and set a new record for the road. She deffinately brought her A-game this weekend.

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What a day for the underdog Saturday was, at the King and Queen of the Roads. Kelly Mallon and Silke Tulk have dominated the Queen Finals for the past nineteen years with Carmel Ryan breaking the chain in 2013. Both got beaten in their respective semi-finals. Anke Klopper from Germany came close in 2024 but just got pipped by Silke on the home straight that year, but this year she was focussed in her semi-final against reigning Queen Kelly Mallon and Queen Qualifier Hannah Cronin, playing for a three-way stake of €600 a-side. Five shots each to the top of the short straight with Mallon having a twenty meter lead. Cronin missed full sight at the big corner and both Mallon and Klopper went peeping sight with Klopper taking her second lead of the score by two meters. Cronin fell a bowl down at Leahy’s. Three huge bowls from Mallon to O’Riordan’s where she now had almost two bowls on Cronin and throwing her odds over fifty meters on Klopper. Klopper kept it under the bowl in three more great shots to the Pony Gate. Mallon got a super twelfth shot to Bob’s that Klopper just beat and was now almost a bowl down and almost two bowls on Cronin. An uncharacteristic error from Mallon with her thirteenth to the start of the green her bowl was too far right and fell right and gave Klopper the opening she was waiting for, but her bowl kept going left and into the green, Kelly got a big bowl to the end of the green with her fourteenth, Cronin made onto the straight for the finish line and Klopper got an amazing shot to the black sign, Mallon brought her next too far and it fell left and only thirty five meters separated Mallon and Klopper for the last shots with Cronin almost two bowls out of it. Klopper gave her last shot everything and it made just short of the school bend, Mallon was always left and it fell left hind bowl by twelve meters.

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The second semi final between Silke Tulk from the Netherlands, Dervla Toal-Mallon Senior All-Ireland winner and Hannah Sexton Senior All Ireland r-up, playing for a stake of €1,500 between Sexton and Mallon. All three went sight at the top of the short straight in four excellent shots where only five meters separated all three with Sexton fore bowl. Both Mallon and Sexton covered the short straight but Tulk was too far left and got caught left no sight at the big corner. Mallon got a huge sixth shot past Leahy’s that Sexton missed by five meters and Tulk missed to fall a bowl down. After two more shots each Tulk had it under the bowl of odds and Mallon throwing her odds over forty meters on Sexton. The pendulum swayed in Sextons favour when both Tulk and Mallon got poor tenth shots to Heaphy’s Wall and Sexton made Hegarty’s, straightening the road for her next shot, Mallon was left of play and got caught to fall a bowl down. Tulk was now back in the score with a big bowl past Hegarty’s but Sexton lined another big one to the Pony Gate to have a lead of ninety meters on Tulk and a bowl and big odds on Mallon. Tulk’s twelfth fell right and Sexton got another massive drive to Bobs. Mallon made the start of the green with her fourteenth, Sexton covered all the green to the big tree with her thirteenth and Tulk beat this by twenty five meters keeping it under the bowl of odds. Mallon got a good next, Sexton made the Black sign and Tulk missed the finish line and Sexton had nothing to beat and played her bowl well to book her first Queen Final along with Anke Klopper.

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Saturday was King of the Roads semi final day, up first we had Aidan Murphy playing Colm Rafferty, Armagh and Olivier Scholten from the Netherlands, playing for a three stake of €350 a-side and €1,000 between Murphy and Rafferty. Rafferty opened with three huge bowls to the green, Murphy fumbled his third down left and was last of the three players. Murphy fell a bowl down when he missed Rafferty’s tip and Scholten made the Creamery with a huge fourth. Rafferty made the no-play line in two more great bowls where he had an even bowl of odds on both Scholten and Murphy. Murphy knocked the bowl of odds with a big seventh off the no-play line and an even better eight well out the long straight where he was knocking odds. Scholten was falling off the pace and was a big bowl of odds down. Murphy had it back to even bowling with Rafferty at the bottom of the short straight, not from bad bowling from Rafferty but from four exceptional shots from Murphy and Scholten was a bowl down. Scholten got a fantastic shot up the short straight that knocked the bowl of odds and Murphy took his first lead from Rafferty with another mighty drive up the short straight. After two shots more to the Serpent Murphy had twenty meters on Rafferty and a bowl on Scholten. All three went out the last bend with Scholten a bowl down it was going to the wire with Rafferty and Murphy, Rafferty got a big last shot well into the green, Murphy brought his too far and it went right into the green but no speed to beat Rafferty’s tip.

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In the second semi final Arthur McDonagh played Thomas Mackle and Fabien Schiffman from Germany with a stake of €6,500 between McDonagh and Mackle. McDonagh can only be described as awesome in this semi-final, Mackle didn’t do a whole lot wrong but just could not keep up the pace of McDonagh, and he went over every sop with accuracy and speed. McDonagh made the no-play line in five shots which is the go of it, here he had a bowl of odds on both Mackle and Schiffman, after two more onto the long straight it was the same odds. Mackle got a super bowl to the top of the short straight and McDonagh followed and beat it again, Schiffman was almost two bowls down at this juncture. Mackle unleashed a phenomenal tenth shot that just fell short of sight for the short straight, this shot knocked the bowl of odds. Two more each from all three players to the top of the short straight where Schiffman was now almost two bowls down and Mackle had the odds under the bowl. All to Din Toughs in twelve, thirteen and fourteen shots each. From here McDonagh delivered another of his special ones tight left and rose up and made past the serpent, Mackle missed this to fall a full bowl of odds down again, Mackle made full sight for the line and McDonagh’s bowl looked like cutting the bend and making half way to the finish but was accidently blocked hind of Mackle tip, but was enough to book his place in Sunday’s final v Colm Rafferty.

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In the Brian Woods Invitational score between Ger Connolly, Ruaidhri O’Reilly and Luca Brunetti from Italy. O’Reilly took the favourites tag being the Junior B All Ireland champion with a stake of €1,600 between Connolly and O’Reilly. Brunetti led the first two shots, but a huge third from Connolly to the end of the green won him his first lead and he followed up with another to the Pony Gate where he had a bowl on O’Reilly and level with Brunetti. Off the no-play line Brunetti won back the lead from Connolly by one meter and held that advantage after his seventh onto the long straight, O’Reilly was a big bowl of odds down here. An unreal eight from Connolly up the right track took him sight for Leahy’s and raised a bowl of odds on Brunetti and two bowls of odds on O’Reilly. Connolly went out the big corner in two more where he had the same odds. O’Reilly missed up the short straight and was almost three bowls down and fell out. Connolly held a bowl advantage on Brunetti to the sycamores and out the last bend to take victory.

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TIM YOUNG TURNED ON THE STYLE TO TWIN THE JIM O'DRISCOLL CUP

Tim Young booked his place in the Jim O’Driscoll Cup Final on Sunday when he beat Timmy McDonagh and Paddy Stokes in the Jim O’Driscoll (Munster Final) playing for a three-way stake of €1,550 a-side. Three each to the Creamery with Young just fore bowl. Two more shots over the no-play lines where Young fore bowl of McDonagh and he just fore bowl of Stokes. Up the long straight Young followed a huge bowl of Stokes with McDonagh trailing. Stokes missed the big corner in two more and McDonagh was a bowl down and Young played perfect made full sight. Young covered the short straight and made full sight where he had a bowl on Stokes and two bowls on McDonagh. A mistake from Young when his bowl fell left at the sycamores, Stokes got a great bowl around that bend bringing himself back into the score. McDonagh around the bend also but a bowl and big odds on him. Young only beat Stokes bowl by twenty meters. Stokes twelfth veered up right to Din Toughs McDonagh missed this and Young just beat the tip so all square with Stokes. Stokes got a good bowl to the Novice line but Young an even better one and extended his odds again. McDonagh and Stokes missed sight at the last bend and Young went fully out and beat the line easy to win by a big last shot from Stokes with McDonagh a big bowl of odds out of it.

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Tim Young followed up on Sunday when he led from trap to line over Pete Carr (Ulster) in the Jim O’Driscoll Cup Final, playing for a stake of €4,600 a-side. Carr got a good enough first shot but his next two where of the short order and he fell an early bowl of odds down. Young made a blip with his third but recovered well to make the no-play line in five shots where he now had two bowls of odds. Carr knocked this odds briefly but at the half way line Young restored the two bowls again. Carr had it under the two bowls of odds again at the big corner. Both went up the short straight and on for Din Tough’s where it was under the bowl by one meter. Young went full sight for the finish line and raised the two bowls again. Carr got a good last shot that saved the two bowls of odds. Young’s performance was equal bowling to the King Final later in the day over the line in fifteen shots.

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In the Dairypower Trophy score between All Ireland Intermediate winner Ailbhie O’Shea playing Lilly O’Rourke and Silvia Branchini from Italy with a stake of €4,000 between O’Rourke and O’Shea. O’Rourke got a huge first shot to Din Tough’s, Silvia took the second shots but made a slip with her third onto the short straight, O’Shea led at the bottom of the short straight where Silvia was now a bowl down and O’Shea had five meters on O’Rourke. After two shots more out sight onto the long straight O’Shea had two bowls on Silvia and big odds on O’Rourke. O’Rourke got a beautiful eight shot that O’Shea beat with an even more impressive bowl, neither made sight with their next and a blunder from O’Shea when she only made O’Riordan’s wall gave O’Rourke an opportunity to knock big odds, Silvia was now three bowls down. After two more from both O’Shea and O’Rourke to Hegarty’s the odds was back to thirty meters. An incredible twelfth shot from O’Rourke past the Pony Gate gave her back the lead by five meters when O’Shea’s bowl fell right. There was nothing between after their next to Bobs with O’Rourke fore by five meters. O’Shea got poor play with her next and her bowl fell right at the green, Silvia was still three bowls out of it, O’Rourke went well into the green but O’Shea got a fantastic shot to the big tree, but it was not enough as O’Rourke replied with a massive shot back of the black sign that gave her fifty meters of odds. O’Shea missed the line well and O’Rourke also missed it by only one meter. O’Shea’s last bowl was too far out and turned in left and there was no doubt about O’Rourke’s last shot.

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HURLEY OVERCOMES GRIMLEY IN THE CHARLIE MCCARTHY CUP

Diarmuid Grimley played Eoin Hurley in the Charlie McCarthy Cup a repeat of the Novice-1 All-Ireland Final played recently in Westport, both opened with huge first shots, one would say it was no big shot to go sight at the top of the short straight but Grimley played his second well but crossed left too soon and caught before sight, Hurley also only made poor sight. Grimley missed down the short straight in two more, and Hurley went full sight where he was now throwing his odds over thirty five meters. Hurley made Leahy’s wall with his fifth that Grimley only beat by five meters was very left. Hurley got an absolute monterious sixth shot, tight left down the yellow line, Grimley beat this by thirty meters in two shots. Hurley made Heaphy’s Wall in two more holding his odds. Grimley eleventh was right and fell in at the no-play line and Hurley got a super bowl past the Pony Gate to hold a bowl and sixty meters. Grimley made the end of the green from the no-play line two super shots but Hurley still held a bowl and thirty meters with the line approaching, an absolute huge last shot from the Big Tree Grmiley beat the finish line by thirty meters and when Hurley’s second last broke in left he was now throwing for the score, he played his last well and beat the tip easy.

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In a mixed doubles score in the Jim Geary Youth Invitational the All Ireland pairing from Ulster Johnny Campbell and Connie Mallon had a very exciting and tough battle with Italy’s Simone Stefanini and Deborah Formica, but came out winners in the end by the last shot.

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In the Proto Mark Technologies Youth International Crown Maeve Cuinnea and Gerald McDonagh from (Cork) beat Lotte Telgenhof Oude Keohorst and Mike Scholtenhave (Netherlands) by the last shot and Wenke Abken and Joost Kleemann from (Germany) by one bowl in a very exciting contest.

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Seamus O’Tuama, Secretary of the Ballincurrig Bowling Club, thanked all his committee members who put in a huge effort for the weekend, he thanked Christy Santry who has been his wingman since day one back in 1985, he thanked all the players and supporters who travelled from Holland, Germany, Italy, Armagh and Cork in huge numbers. He thanked his daughter Eláir who put a massive amount of work into the programme and he especially thanked all of the supporters who make this weekend a massive success year in year out