He was one of the star performers as Armagh dumped Tyrone out of the All-Ireland championship earlier this month and now Ethan Rafferty has clinched another victory for the Orchard County.
On Saturday, he won the Philip White Tyres Ulster Intermediate Road Bowls Championship with an impressive two-shot victory over Tyrone’s Shaun Donnelly on the Eglish course.
The score was originally scheduled to be a semi-final, but Tullysaran’s former All-Ireland champion Conor McGuigan was forced to withdraw from the tournament after picking up an injury in his thrilling last shot win over Mark Toal last week.
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That meant that Rafferty and Donnelly would throw for the right to progress to next month’s All-Ireland final in Co Cork.
The sport is predominantly played in Armagh and Cork, but there are also clubs in counties Mayo, Louth, Waterford and in Tyrone with Eglish scheduled to host the All-Ireland series in 2023 and 2024.
Eglish native Donnelly, last year’s All-Ireland Junior A champion, got the better of the early exchanges, but Rafferty drew level by the third shot.
From that point, the Grange man got on top and gradually increased his lead and led by a bowl at the halfway stage of the contest. The lead was soon two shots and Rafferty was able to maintain his advantage with some exceptional shots down the home stretch.
The Armagh star proceeded to equal the course record which is held by Donnelly himself and he’ll have high hopes of winning an All-Ireland title in Ballincurrig, Co Cork next month.
That score is scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 10 and Rafferty could be set for a busy weekend.
Kieran McGeeney’s Orchardmen take on Galway in Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC quarter-final at Croke Park.
Should they win, their semi-final will take place at Croke Park on Saturday, July 9 against either Derry or Clare who play this Saturday at Croker.
Rafferty isn’t the only Armagh GAA star who is an accomplished road bowler. Armagh Ladies captain Kelly Mallon is the most decorated female thrower in the sport with nine All-Ireland titles.
Mallon will hope to join Rafferty in Ballincurrig at the All-Ireland series and she begins the defence of her Ulster title on Monday June 27 when she takes on her clubmate Sinead Kiernan on their home course at Madden.
Like Rafferty, Mallon could be set for a busy couple of weeks with Armagh beginning their All-Ireland Championship with a draw (0-9 each) against holders Meath in Pearse Park in Longford on Sunday.
Ronan Murphy’s team will progress to the knock-out stages of the competition if they defeat Monaghan at the Athletic Grounds on Saturday afternoon.
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