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O’Leary Edges Lynch and Bowen to Lift O’Driscoll Cup at Schull
Bowling report: Week ending 16th November
Michael O’Leary captured the Mick Flor O’Driscoll Cup in Schull. In Lyre, Michael John O’Brien returned from a year’s break to defeat Liam Murphy, while Cillian Kelleher booked his place in the Junior A final with a dominant showing over Noel O’ Regan.
Elsewhere around the region, standout wins were recorded by Connor Creedon, Andrew O’Callaghan, Jerry Murphy, and Sean Kiely across a busy week of tournament action
O'LEARY CAPTURES MICK FLOR O'DRISCOLL CUP
Michael O'Leary came out on top in the Mick Flor O’Driscoll Cup Final played at Schull. Going into battle where Michael O’Leary, Cian Bowen & Darren Lynch, playing for 3 x €1,200 a-side. Bowen held the early advantage in this final leading both his opponents by 40 meters after three shots, he extended this to 60 meters on O’Leary and almost a bowl on Lynch after six shots. After two more excellent shots from O’Leary he took over the lead, raising a bowl on Lynch and almost a bowl on Bowen. He raised the bowl fully on both at McFarland’s. O’Leary held this odds on for the bridge, but Lynch pushed him to a last shot that O’Leary won to take the Cup.
CLUBS BUSY GETTING ON WITH TOURNAMENTS
We're in a busy bowling period, as several tournaments are being run of, including at Lyre in their Junior A tournament where Liam Murphy from Baile Bhuirne played Michael John O’Brien for a total stake of €4,800. O’Brien who has been off bowling for almost 12 months, he got back to winning ways when he beat Murphy by one bowl of odds. The start of the Lyre road has been recently re-surfaced with tarmacadam. Four great bowls over the tunnel gave Murphy his first lead. Murphy let a chance of rising odds slip when he got a poor fifth but recovered well with two more to McCarthy’s bend where he had a valuable fifty meters of odds, but undid his good work when he missed the crossover. O’Brien crossed over and Murphy beat this by 30 meters. O’Brien went sight at McCarthy but another blunder from Murphy too tight left gave O’Brien back the lead. Murphy made the big tree in two more but from here O’Brien unleashed a superior shot that Murphy missed to concede a bowl of odds, with one shot remaining O’Brien won by the bowl.
KELLEHER REACHES LYRE TOURNAMENT FINAL
A Junior A semi-final was played at Lyre on Sunday here Noel O’Regan from Togher played Cillian Kelleher from Kilnamartyra, no stake in this one. This was a trap to line victory for Kelleher, lining two big opening shots past the forest entrance where he was throwing his odds over 25 meters, Kelleher held this odds with three more shots over the tunnel and extended it to 100 meters at Crowley’s farm entrance, he had a huge bowl to make Crowley’s bend but played it perfectly and went up full sight, O’Regan was always right and missed the tip to go a bowl down. O’Regan got a super bowl to crossover and this knocked the bowl of odds briefly and kept it under the bowl at McCarthy’s bend. All the betting was now that Kelleher would win by a bowl. O’Regan got another great bowl from poor sight to the start of the railings, Kelleher responded with a miler that looked like securing the bowl of odds but O’Regan beat it. Two more over the line and O’Regan saved the bowl of odds.
Ballinacurra also held a Junior A score, another Gaeltacht man Connor Creedon played local Templemartin man Kieran Murphy for a total stake of €4,000. Murphy took the first two shots of this score, but with the aid of a big rub off the kerbing Creedon took the third and held a twenty five meter lead at the church. At the waterworks the tips were level. A big bowl from Murphy to the Muddy gap that Creedon only beat by twenty meters in two. Murphy raised the bowl of odds with two more good bowls to the Hurling alley but Creedon had it level again at Innishannon cross due to two poor efforts from Murphy. There was nothing between in two more onto the straight with Murphy holding a three meter lead. Creedon was back in front again with a huge fifteenth shot to the hedging. After two more out the last turn Murphy had a one meter advantage for the last shots. Creedon missed the finish line and Murphy missed his tip. However Murphy lined a huge last shot that Creedon missed well.
O'CALLAGHAN TAKES THE HONOUR AGAIN FROM RIORDAN
Grange was the venue for the re-match between Andrew O’Callaghan and Donal Riordan in the Champy Deasy Cup, they played the previous week in Ballinacurra and O’Callaghan won, on this occasion they played for €2,150 a-side. Both opened with poor first shots, but O’Callaghan got a magnificent second that Riordan missed in two to give O’Callaghan an early bowl of odds. Riordan missed full sight at the stud farm bend but got a massive bowl to Holland’s wall to keep it to an even bowl. O’Callaghan made past De Barra’s in two more to raise a second bowl as Riordan missed sight from Hollands and was very left with his next back of De Barra’s. Riordan made the school cross with the aid of a rub and knocked the two bowls. O’Callaghan made the middle of Hegarty’s wall and Riordan’s parley cue caught the pillar two bowls were up again. Riordan missed full sight with his next and O’Callaghan extended his lead to the muddy passage. Riordan used his power and got a perfect bowl to the big tree that knocked the two bowls again by 80 meters. O’Callaghan got a great bowl back of John Bill’s where he had a bowl and 80 meters. Riordan dug deep and had it under the bowl with three shots to go. But O’Callaghan had too much odds and held out to win by a big last shot.
TWO FROM TWO FOR MURPHY AT BALLINACURRA
Recent Vintage winner Jerry Murphy had two from two off of Jim Coffey at Ballinacurra, playing for €3,100 a-side in the first score, they crossed the main road in four each with Murphy 30 meters fore bowl. Coffey took his first lead with his sixth shot to Foley’s, after two more to the Muddy Gap Coffey raised a bowl of odds. Two good bowls from Murphy to the GAA entrance and three poor bowls from Coffey gave Murphy the lead back by 10 meters. Murphy raised daylight odds with a great bowl to the silver gate and at the novice d line he had almost a bowl of odds and raised it fully when he went sight for the line. In the return score playing for €4,000 a-side, at the GAA entrance Coffey was throwing his odds over 30 meters. Murphy three great bowls past the sheds took the lead by 5 meters and held this lead to the waterworks and raised further odds between here and Brinny cross, and went on to win by almost the bowl.
KIELY TAKES BALLYCLOUGH NOVICE B TOURNAMENT TITLE
A novice B tournament final was played at Ballyclough, here Sean Kiely took victory from Kieran Kelleher playing for €2,500 a-side. Kiely took the first two shots but a super third from Kelleher out sight followed up with another big bowl up the hill gave Kelleher his first lead. The lead changed hand several times over the next few shots, only meters separated them with three shots to go. Kiely got a big bowl to the quarry and finished the better of the two to take the title.
County Stars Honoured as Ted Hegarty Enters Hall of Fame at Ból Chumann evening of Celebration
The Parkway Hotel, Dunmanway was a hive of activity on Saturday night last where all the County winners and runners-up were honoured for their road bowling years achievements by Ból Chumann na hÉireann. All players were presented with a framed collage of photos. Special awards went to Arthur McDonagh Male Player of the Year, Hannah Cronin Female player of the year, Shane Crowley Young player of the year, Personality of the year went to P.J.O’Mahony for his sterling work in organising the All-Irelands at Castletown for the past two years, and in his procurement of An Taoiseach Micheál Martin to open the 2025 All-Irelands.
Hall of Fame went to Lyre man Ted Hegarty, his citation was read as follows 'Our Hall of Fame recipient tonight joins a pantheon of great bowlers and great bowling people into the Hall of Fame. His place in the pantheon has been earned primarily for his ground-breaking work in establishing an academy of young bowlers, which he has run every year since it was founded in 2009 on the Letter Road, North of Clonakilty where it was played for three years. It then moved to its current home, on the Phale Road, Ballineen. To date well over 2000 boys and girls have been part of that nursery that has borne phenomenal fruit in terms of turning out stars of the future, but whether or not they achieve greatness in sport, every one of them will have been given the gift of a great sport that they can continue to play for the rest of their lives. This man wasn’t given any special commission. He didn’t receive any government grants. He just had a desire to do something constructive, to promote a game that is part of his DNA. To pass the torch to another generation. He informally spread the word in 2009 that he was going to run an event for children. He got a promising response that quickly took hold on the strength of a job being well done to fuel the enthusiasm of youth. Many good idea never get acted upon. Many people wait to be invited to do things. This man not only turned his good ideas into something real, but has kept that fire burning for the past 17 consecutive years. The sport of bowling will benefit from that selfless investment and volunteer spirit for decades ahead. So tonight Ted Hegarty we are honoured that you are our Hall of Fame recipient for 2025'.
