The bragging rights came with the winning of that monumental, big money intermediate clash on Sunday afternoon, and surely buoyed by his football team’s seismic victory on Saturday, Armagh’s Ethan Rafferty’s unflinching determination in the face of adversity saw him cheered to the rafters after overcoming Cork’s Tommy O’Sullivan by almost a bowl of odds for a total stake that amounted to €104,000. That his northern support was willing to put their faith in him spoke volumes, yet it was the confidence the Cork camp had in their man that spurred O’Sullivan to a dream start. He fired a brilliant opening sequence that increased odds with each exchange before a cannon-like fifth put him a big bowl of odds ahead. Rafferty was struggling but got an unexpected fillip when O’Sullivan, attempting to follow a good eighth, caught the left with two in succession and suddenly the margin was back to thirty metres. Amid a welter of excitement, Rafferty was pin-straight with his ninth and suddenly he was in the ascendancy to the tune of forty metres. O’Sullivan admirably dug himself out and fired an exceptional eleventh to ‘Fehilly’s lane’ to regain the lead with valuable odds. Rafferty, refusing to yield then delivered the shot of the score, a searing drive that went all the way to ‘Forshin’s cross’. O’Sullivan missed sight but fired a smashing loft to keep it in the melting pot. Rafferty was in the zone and, judged his thirteenth to perfection increasing his lead to a bowl of odds. O’Sullivan was game to the last, but Rafferty was not going to lose his newfound ascendancy and became the deserved 2024 All-Ireland intermediate champion at the third attempt having gone under to Patrick Flood at Ballincurrig in 2022 and being forced to concede through injury to Brian Wilmot last year at Eglish.
For Geraldine Curtin the wait goes on. A fifth attempt at All-Ireland championship glory floundered on an inconsistent showing that fell well short of her near faultless county final performance. Dervla Toal-Mallon did enough and was particularly astute over the closing stages when recovering so well after she had lost her long held lead. Geraldine’s support base from across the bowling spectrum is vast and she matched her northern rival in a €30,000 total stake that represented a record for a women’s contest. Two fine opening shots were a positive indicator as the Cork champion took early ascendancy but there was a hint of Dervla Toal-Mallon’s determination and road savvy too in a tremendous third that gave her a forty metre lead. She would hold it through the middle third and up to the last quarter. It was a score that failed to sparkle as Toal-Mallon without being spectacular built a handy sixty metre lead in the shots approaching ‘Pynne’s’ corner. Geraldine’s tenth to the bend was excellent and it was now a level score. Her follow up was not in the same category but Dervla failed to punish and, when the Cork challenger got the perfect touch with her twelfth, she was suddenly catapulted into an unexpected lead. Unfortunately, it was a brief turnaround as Dervla fired two perfectly executed deliveries to and from the juncture at the ‘netting’. These had the effect of giving her an unassailable advantage with the line in sight and the Ulster champion duly took her fifth national senior title on the back of those crucial exchanges.
For the second year in succession Ellen Sexton delivered an All-Ireland final performance of substance. In defending her U18 crown, Ellen stayed focused in a testing early period as she dealt with an opponent who matched her speedy deliveries but did not have the requisite know-how to negotiate those awkward bends that permeate the early part of the inward course. Lilly O’Rourke was no pushover in those early stages and even a wayward opening shot did not derail her as she hit an excellent fifth that touched perfectly and looked to give her the lead. Ellen’s response defined her day. A well-placed reply beat a big tip by forty metres, and she punished Lily’s poor sixth with a super shot to sight at ‘Nyhan’s corner’. That put the Timoleague native ahead to the tune of a bowl of a bowl of odds and there was no looking back. Ellen’s eighth was a two-hundred metre plus cannon and it doubled her advantage and ensured she would emulate her sister Hannah’s achievement of winning All-Ireland U18 in successive seasons.
Michael Murphy’s junior A win on Saturday was a signature success coming as it did after he had played second fiddle for almost three-quarters of an absorbing contest. He was aided by the sudden collapse in Pete Carr’s form but having overcome adversity, he found great reserves to fire that score-winning thirteenth shot to sight to ‘Forshin’s cross’. Carr, who had the confidence of the buoyed up northern camp in matching the €10,600 stake on Murphy’s side, opened in a blaze firing a splendid first shot up past ‘Spillane’s’ and, when Murphy’s stayed left an early one hundred metre gap separated them. Carr followed up in like vein and rose a bowl of odds and metres with it with his second throw and it looked an uphill battle for the Munster champion at that stage. Carr was strong again beating a big fifth of Murphy’s to hold his lead and, despite a dip in the next sequence the shot of odds, that margin still separated them at ‘Pynne’s’. Murphy showed the first signs of making inroads with an excellent cast to the ‘black gates’, but Carr still held commanding odds heading on for ‘Fehilly’s lane’. The change was swift. Two poor efforts from Carr his eleventh and twelfth cost him most of his lead and now Murphy sensing his opening, fired that stunner all the way to the crucial juncture known as ‘Forhin’s cross. Carr couldn’t follow and suddenly Murphy was in the driving seat to the tune of a bowl of odds. On a roll, the North East champion from Ballyclough fired a beauty away from the lines increasing his lead and ensuring his place as All-Ireland junior A champion for 2024.
A most incredible contest may describe the weekend opener, the All-Ireland U18 decider between Oisin Gribben and Cork’s Shane Crowley. Nobody could have predicted that a repeat of Crowley’s county final form might just not be good enough against an Ulster champion who was not heralded to have similar firepower in his armoury. Oisin Gribben simply stunned the thronged road with an opening six-shot sequence that almost defied belief. A very different proposition from his All-Ireland appearances in 2023 when he lost out in U16 and U18 to John O’Donoghue and Tommy O’Sullivan, the Rock Road challenger hit an opening brace with ferocious power and accuracy that immediately raised eyebrows. Shane Crowley beat huge tips to stay in touch particularly when Gribben followed up his opening brace with two more in similar vein to the ‘old pub’. The Ulster champion was relentless and two more from the top-drawer had him sight at ‘Pynne’s’ in six, a figure that could hardly be bettered by our top seniors. Gribben rose the bowl of odds and the fare reverted to more normal standards as they played to ‘Forshin’s cross’. Crowley tried to the end but there was no stopping his Armagh rival whose performance will rank with the best in an All-Ireland series. Gaeltacht’s Ross O’Brien is the deserved U14 champion for 2024. It took a while to overcome the sticky challenge put up by Jack O’Reilly before the Cork champion’s power of delivery and general know-how told in a bowl of odds victory. A huge break resulted in a big first shot lead for the Gaeltacht boy, but he was kept at bay in the ensuing exchanges by O’Reilly’s accurate if less speedy responses. O’Reilly indeed took a surprise lead with a perfectly judged fifth from blind sight at the ‘netting’, but it was short lived as Ross’s power enable good runs on downward stretch to the ‘round tower cross’. Only with three to go did O’Brien rise the bowl of odds and that was his winning margin from an enjoyable contest.
The weather Gods smiled and Castletownkinneigh put on a show. Attention to detail their hallmark, all eventualities were more than adequately covered by a diligent cohort wrought from all sectors within their expansive community. The All-Ireland finals received a special send-off on Saturday morning when new County Mayor, Joe Carroll, was at hand to welcome all. Joe especially welcomed those who had travelled from Armagh and spoke of the bond forged between the bowling brethren north and south that has benefitted the sport to an enormous extent. M.C, John O’Callaghan was fulsome in his praise for the support his club has received from so many sectors. He welcomed Ból Chumann chair, Willie Murphy, acknowledged the Mid Cork regional club network, Cork County Council, local authorities, residents on the road and the contributions of club chair, Jimmy Hennessy, and dignitaries who attended Christopher O’Sullivan, Andreas Moynahin, Deridre Kelly and Denis O’Donovan. Newcestown Ceoltas Cheolteori were splendid entertainers in the lead up to the opening score. A colourful and informative official programme was filled with player profiles and club information. Contained too were articles of historical folklore associated with the surrounding area. Armagh thanks to their two victories in the adult grades on Sunday and Oisin Gribben’s electrifying U18 win were undoubtedly the happier camp but Cork who had three successes also could celebrate commanding performances from Ellen Sexton, Ross O’Brien and Michael Murphy’s late surge in junior A.