Kieran Donaghy hoping to provide Armagh with silver bullet

Want to know how much Kieran Donaghy has bought into the Armagh way since joining Kieran McGeeney's management team? Well, for one, a few years ago it would have seemed unlikely for the big 6'5" Kerry man to be throwing road bowls along the winding laneways of the Orchard County.

That was more of a Cork thing down in Munster, after all, but now 'Star’ has found a bit of a grá for the bullets.

It came about through circumstance and curiosity as he prepares for Sunday’s All-Ireland final against Galway.

On the first point, he’s stays in the heart of bowls country when he’s up training the panel, with the people of Keady au fait with the intricacies of the sport.

On point two, one of his players – Ethan Rafferty – just happens to be one of the very best road bowlers in Ireland.

The day after he was part of the Orchard squad that defeated Kerry to reach a first final in 21 years, Rafferty headed to Castletown-Kinneigh in Cork and picked up the All-Ireland Intermediate title.

As supporters rushed to lift him on their shoulders after the win, Rafferty bellowed "one down, one to go!"

"I stay with the Fegans in Tassagh up by Basil Sheils (restaurant) and there’s always bullets being thrown up there," Donaghy said.

"I’d walk the roads with the boys because it was something I’d never seen before and I was mad interested in it.

"I threw one or two one day just having the craic with the fellas. It is mad - the whole intensity took me by surprise. I was out there thinking this was going to be a jolly walk, but you’d fellas shouting ‘come on to f***’ - it reminded me of being inside a dressing room when you are five points down.

"It is class. I was onto Raff straight away when he won it. Even him willing to potentially miss that if the team