The bowling world marked the incredible achievements of Michael Toal, winner of a record ten All-Ireland senior men’s titles, with the unveiling of a plaque at the start of the Keady-Tassagh road, before last weekend’s All-Ireland finals.
Toal had a particular connection to Keady-Tassagh. He won his first final there in 1988 and his last one in 2009, having won the u18 All-Ireland there in 1987. He is the only player to ever win U18 and senior finals back-to-back. He won many other honours too including King of the Roads, Joe McVeigh Cup, and a World championship.
His first win over Mikey ‘Loxie’ O’Driscoll was extraordinary in itself. O’Driscoll was at the tail-end of his senior career, yet it was a first senior final for both. O’Driscoll looked to have it wrapped up early-on. Toal fought back and finally edged ahead for the first time three-quarters into the score at the bridge.
He powered home from there. It was an astonishing achievement for a teenager against such an experienced player.
All of his other nine wins have stories of their own, but some stand out more than others. His last win was almost a mirror-image of his first. He was now the seasoned champion and Aidan Murphy the emerging young star. That turned into a massive battle, which went down to a last shot. Toal closed like he had done so many times with a huge bowl.
He had done the same to steal what looked like an impossible win off Bill Daly in Béal Átha’n Ghaoirthaidh in 1991. In 1998 he defied Kieran Gould in another wonderous final on the Cathedral Road on the tenth anniversary of his first win.
Off the road Toal was almost diffident, but on it he had an awesome presence. He won scores from the front, he fought back and changed scores, but most remarkably he had the capacity to turn an ebbing tide. In that famous score with Daly in 1991 he seemed to be cruising to victory.
He then hit a bad patch through the bends winding up into the Céim an Fhia. Daly played what looked an unbeatable last bowl. Toal hit back with one of the greatest last shots of all time. Defying momentum is one of the hardest things in sport, but Toal could do it.
With barely time to process some phenomenal bowling at Keady-Tassagh, the focus is already on the 40th King and Queen of the Roads next month and the third All-Ireland series in Drogheda. Italian bowlers will compete in King and Queen of the Roads for the first time in 2025. How they fare with the Irish bowl on a typical Irish bowling road will be very interesting.
The Italian game is the international discipline that most resembles Irish bowling. It is also played on roads, but the bowl used is more akin to a large snooker ball than the iron bowl used in this country.
Both Megan Collins and Veronica O’Mahony advanced to the semi-finals of the Gretta Cormican Cup in the race to secure wild-card entry into Queen of the Roads. Collins beat Emma Fitzpatrick by two bowls at the Clubhouse and O’Mahony beat Munster finalist, Juliet Murphy, at Béal na Marbh.
O’Mahony got the better start there leading all of the first six shots. Murphy won the lead with a big seventh and won the next tip with an equally good one. O’Mahony regained the lead with a brilliant bowl to the rock. She raised a bowl after two more, but Murphy fought back and forced the score to a last shot.
In the Munster Junior C championship, Michael Ahern and Conor Lucey advanced a step closer to Drogheda. Ahern beat Diarmuid Hurley in the last shot at Jagoes Mills. He had a good lead after three great bowls through the cross. He had a bowl after two more good shots and he held that to the power-station. Hurley fought back strongly and had the lead down to just 25m for the last shot. Hurley then missed the line and Ahern beat it.
Lucey beat Paddy McCarthy at Grenagh. He had 70m lead after three and was still 100m fore past the houses. McCarthy played two huge bowls towards Boula lane and went out light with another to go almost a bowl in front. He raised a bowl with his next one.
Lucey got back into it with a massive bowl out the last bend, which cut the lead to 40m. He then beat the line. McCarthy beat that tip, but his bowl was called. His second attempt was not as good and missed Lucey’s tip.
