A dramatic finish for Twohig at Ballinacurra
Novice E Finalists at Clashmore Paddy Maloney bt Paraic O'Leary with ref Donie O'Sullivan
Gavin Twohig held on by his fingernails to beat Wayne Callanan in a junior tournament score at Ballinacurra, playing for a stake of €1,500 a-side. Twohig opened with three huge bowls to Brinny cross where he held an early bowl of odds. Twohig held this odds in two more well played bowls to Foley’s and followed up with a super sixth shot past the waterworks entrance. Callanan unleashed a fantastic eight shot to Brinny House and followed up with an equally impressive ninth to the hurling alley keeping Twohig’s odds to an even bowl. Callanan knocked the bowl of odds with a huge tenth to the bridge, Twohig followed up with two poor bowls to Innishannon Cross and suddenly his odds was back to twenty meters. Two more each out onto the straight road where Callanan took his first lead by five meters to set up a grand stand finish up the last straight. Callanan held onto the lead by a mere meter after two more past the avenue. Twohig went out sight for the line with a huge bowl and Callanan followed and beat this by three meters for the last shot. Twohig put down a perfect last that beat the finish line, Callanan’s was played equally as good but just fell short by one meter.
Ballydehob were the hosts of a Féile Na Gaeilga weekend of bowling to support a village festival of different activities, wood carving, beekeeping, hurling & football skills, the Irish language, knitting workshop, fitness sessions, soccer session, trad sessions and of course our own cultural sport of road bowling. Rachel and her boxing sister Christine were on hand to give a Road bowling demonstration to the visitors and locals to the village for the weekend, where all were encouraged to give it a try. On the road there was plenty of scores too, on Saturday, Geároid Lucy beat Eoin Hurley by one bowl for €1,500 a-side. Michael O’Leary beat Martin Cronin by one bowl for €1,500 a-side. Kevin Ó’Crualáoi beat Finbarr Coughlan by the last shot for €2,600 a-side. Kevin Courtney beat Tom McCarthy by two bowls for €1,200 a-side. Johnny O’Driscoll beat Liam Murphy one bowl €1,400 a-side. Paudie Murphy beat Darren Harrington three bowls €1,500 a-side. Jimmy O’Regan beat Donal McCarthy for €1,000 a-side. Shane Shannon beat Ger Connolly by two bowls for €4,000 a-side and Shane Shannon beat Ger Connolly in a second score for €4,550 a-side.
Firmount held a junior tournament score between Mark Bourke and Trevor O’Meara, Bourke’s winning trail of late came to an end when O’Meara beat him by one bowl of odds, for a stake of €2,050 a-side. This was a trap to line win for O’Meara. Three shots each up past the School O’Meara held a five meters advantage. A poor fourth from Bourke and O’Meara punished him. Up past the pump house O’Meara held a forty meter advantage. Bourke got himself back into the score back of Buckley’s Cross but O’Meara got a huge bowl through the cross that extended his lead again. A huge bowl to McCarthy’s bungalow from O’Meara raised almost the bowl of odds for him. Bourke kept it under the bowl past McCarthy’s farm but O’Meara raised the full bowl of odds with two shots to go. No back for Bourke.
COPPINGER GETS THE BETTE OF FLOOD IN PHAIR CUP
A Noel Phair Cup score took place at Shannonvale, Martin Coppinger reversed the result of Clondrohid when he beat Patrick Flood by two bowls of odds for a stake of €450 a-side. After three each to McSweeney’s bungalow Coppinger held a forty meters lead, a short fifth from Flood in right that Coppinger missed by fifteen meters across left and an opportunity gone. But Coppinger recovered well and won back the lead well above Buttimer’s pillars, Flood was well back off Buttimer’s pillars and given no hope of making Desmond’s but he done the impossible and levelled up the score in eight shots each to Desmond’s cross. Flood was back in front again with his ninth shot off the cross, he misplaced his tenth left but it got a kind rub and made Kingston’s lane and he looked in control of this score. Coppinger replied with a great bowl to the end of Kingston’s wall keeping himself in the score as Flood was crazy left of play and only beat the tip by twenty meters. Two more poor bowls from Flood back of Tobin’s bungalow and Coppinger was now in control. Both missed sight for Campbell’s and here Flood was a bowl of odds down, another poor effort from Flood when he missed sight at the last bend and Coppinger extended his odds to almost two bowls and no back for Flood.
DALY TAKES THE HONOURS AT GRANGE IN WHELTON CUP
Another senior score took place in Grange in the Willie Whelton Cup, Aidan Murphy and Gary Daly lined out for a stake of €3,150 a-side with Murphy carrying the favourites tag. A huge start from Daly when he opened the Stud Farm bend in three huge shots even though his first wasn’t the greatest, Murphy pulled his second, third and fourth all right and was an early bowl of odds down. Murphy’s fifth bowl missed sight at Holland’s and Daly made the start of Holland’s wall. Murphy’s sixth shot was brought out too far and crazy right again. Daly got a massive fifth just short of sight at De Barra’s, Murphy got a lovely rub with his seventh to keep the odds under two bowls. Both missed the School Cross with their next, Daly lofted and made Hegarty’s Wall and Murphy threw a perfect purley que and had it under the bowl of odds by thirty meters. Two more huge shots each up past the big tree where Murphy still had it under the bowl of odds if only by six inches. Daly’s tenth was not a great one and gave Murphy an opportunity to knock further odds and he beat this tip by seventy meters and any blip from Daly and the score could have been level but Daly’s next was a huge bowl past Noelie’s bungalow that Murphy only beat by twenty five meters not his quickest and his bowl fell left. Daly got a great bowl up the rising road to the White House and Murphy again beat this tip by seventy meters leaving himself no bowl to go sight at Barry’s, there was no doubt about Daly’s thirteenth shot, played well up the centre and out full sight half way to the pub, Murphy was crazy right with his fourteenth and hit the back of Barry’s wall to fall a bowl down again, Murphy beat the finish line but not enough on this occasion. In a return score at Grange Tom Reaney and Dylan O’Brien will have nightmares as to how they lost their score to Michael O’Leary and Thomas Maloney going from almost two bowls up to losing by a bowl for a stake of €1,000 a-side.
O'DONOGHUE TAKES EAST CORK JUNIOR A
Clashmore held a junior a final between John O’Donoghue (Snr) and James Cooney, playing for a stake of €600 a-side, Cooney made the end of the tarmac in three shots where he had the making of a bowl of odds. Two more to the palms and O’Donoghue had the odds back to eight meters. O’Donoghue took his first lead after two great bowls from him and two poor bowls from Cooney at the Pylon here he led by twenty meters. Three more super bowls from O’Donoghue past the Cottage and rising substantial odds on Cooney. Cooney clawed the odds back to twenty meters heading for the Ashe tree in twelve each. O’Donoghue went full sight at the Ashe tree and Cooney missed sight to fall eighty meters hind bowl again. Cooney rallied back again and got a huge last shot over the finish line, O’Donoghue had a hundred and twenty meter tip to beat and played his bowl very well and beat the tip easy.
