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Coppinger Clinches Second Eamonn Bowen Memorial Cup at Bottlehill
Bowling report: Week ending 30th November
Bantry’s Martin Coppinger captured his second Eamonn Bowen Memorial Cup after a commanding performance over Aidan Murphy and Gary Daly at Bottlehill.
Across a highly competitive weekend, Coppinger, Murphy and Daly emerged from three hard-fought semi-finals to contest the €31,500 decider.
Other scores saw strong victories for Eoin McCarthy, Micháel Desmond & Ciara Buckley, and Timmy McDonagh, while James McNulty claimed the inaugural Charlie O’Donovan Cup in Kilcrohane
BANTRY BOWLER CAPTURES CUP FOR THE SECOND TIME
The Eamonn Bowen memorial weekend was held for the fourth year in the North East venue of Bottlehill. Martin Coppinger claimed his second title from Aidan Murphy and Gary Daly playing for a total stake of €31,500. Coppinger got the better start in this final leading his opponents by one hundred meters after three shots, he dropped a lot of odds with a poor fourth but gained ground again heading for the bridge where he had two bowls on Daly and was throwing his odds over Murphy. Two top class shots from Murphy to the Well won him his first lead over Coppinger and they both had big odds with the bowl on Daly. Murphy raised big odds at the first double bends on Coppinger and Daly was still trailing by a bowl. Coppinger had the odds back to thirty meters at the railings and won back the lead that he would relinquish no more when he finished with three great bowls to win by the last shot over Murphy and a bowl on Daly.
Three semi-finals were down for decision on Saturday with the final taking place on Sunday. The first semi-final was a three hander between Gary Daly playing Eugene McVeigh and Brian Wilmot. 3 x €1,020 a-side and €800 between Daly/McVeigh. Wilmot started well going to the palms in two shots. Daly got a good third that gave him his first lead as Wilmot got caught on the right. McVeigh got a good fourth but just fell short of full sight at Dan’s bend. Daly went full sight at Dan’s bend and Wilmot missed this to go a bowl down. McVeigh was keeping it under the bowl on Daly with a great bowl past Dan’s farmhouse and Wilmot fell almost a bowl down here. Both Wilmot and McVeigh got a great eight to the Bridge and an uncharacteristic error in right by Daly gave McVeigh his first lead in the score by one meter. Daly upped his game from here and after two more to the Well he had almost a bowl on both his opponents. After two more to the Dogs bend he raised the bowl fully on both, and after two more past the railing Daly had two bowls on Wilmot and a bowl on McVeigh.
Back in the road was a single hand semi-final between Aidan Murphy and the title holder of the Eamonn Bowen Cup Arthur McDonagh, playing for a total stake of €10,000. Two poor opening shots from both players both fell right. After two more from Murphy to the railings he had almost a bowl of odds on McDonagh. Murphy fifth was dreadfully unlucky got a pick in left, McDonagh got an enormous sixth bowl that fell around right with the road, Murphy missed this to give the lead back to McDonagh by ten meters. At the Well McDonagh extended his odds to fifty meters, Murphy got a beautiful shot to the Bridge that reduced the odds to three meters. Murphy was back in front after the next exchange and would not be led again. Murphy raised the bowl with his tenth to Dan’s farm. Out around Dan’s bend in two more Murphy held a bowl and ten meters of odds. McDonough thirteenth broke badly left and he now fell two bowls down.
COPPINGER POWERS IN EAMONN BOWEN CUP
The third and last semi-final between Martin Coppinger and Thomas Mackle playing in his first real competitive score since his achilles tendon injury twelve month ago, carried a stake of €2,050 a-side. This was a trap to line victory for Coppinger playing with accuracy, fluency and speed. After a huge second to the start of the palms he had almost a bowl of odds, he raised the bowl fully with another incredible shot to just short of sight at Dan’s bend. Mackle done well to keep it under the two bowls at this juncture. After two more past Dan’s farm it was still a bowl in Coppinger’s favour. After two more to the Bridge Mackle had it back to an even bowl as Coppinger was very left with his eight shot. Mackle knocked the bowl briefly with his tenth shot but at the Well Coppinger restored it again and held it out and around the Dog’s bend. At the second set of double bends Coppinger doubled his odds to almost two bowls.
In supporting scores at Bottlehill in aid of the Irish Cancer Society Eoin McCarthy beat Jimmy O’Brien by one bowl for €4,000 a-side. Micháel Desmond and Ciara Buckley beat Edmund Sexton & Veronica O’Mahony by the last shot for €4,000 a-side. Timmy McDonagh beat Pete Carr by the last shot for €7,000 as-side.
Lyre finished off a Junior A tournament, local club man David Hegarty playing Cillian Kelleher from Kilnamartyra for a stake of €2,150 a-side. A sluggish start from Hegarty in this one, he was well back of the forest entrance in two bowls trailing by a hundred meters. At the tunnel in three more each Kelleher held a fifty meter advantage, Hegarty lined a huge seventh shot to Crowley’s house and made sight again at Crowley’s bend with the aid of a rub, Kelleher was right of play and made sight also but missed Hegarty tip to give him his first lead. Kelleher got the perfect ninth shot to crossover and Hegarty got caught right no sight and only beat Kelleher’s tip again to keep it under the bowl. Hegarty kept it under the bowl at McCarthy’s bend and got a great twelfth to the Rose bed. Kelleher past the big tree. Hegarty lined an absolute train of a next bowl that could well have taken the lead but Kelleher beat it by thirty meters for the last shots. Hegarty last was left and missed the finish line and Kelleher beat this easy.
MCNULTY WIN INAUGURAL CHARLIE O'DONOVAN CUP AT KILCROHANE
The inaugural running of the Charlie O’Donovan memorial cup was played at Kilcrohane in honour of a man who was a founding member and a dedicated club man. This final was played between James McNulty, Union Hall, Denis Murphy, Skibbereen and Mark Shannon, Brahalish. Playing for a total stake of €2,400. The first half of the score was very competitive with each player leading at different times. But a few wayward shots from both Murphy and Shannon near Farnamanagh cross gave McNulty the opportunity to raise big odds on both and he powered on to win by two bowls of odds on both.
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'.