It will most certainly not be the sporting priority for the citizens of Mayo on this weekend, but time will be found for the hosting of the 2020 All-Ireland junior C and novice finals at the picturesque and historic village of Aughagower just outside Westport on this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The finals welcome the outer regions for what promises to be an exciting three-day festival of bowling all arranged, of course, around those hours of destiny for the green and red, 5 to 7pm on Saturday evening. Events throw off on Friday afternoon at 3.00pm when local organiser and doyen of Mayo roadbowling, David Hughes, takes on Cork’s youthful novice 1 champion, Eoin O’Donovan of Belgooly in the first of the novice 1 semi-finals. This is followed at 4.30, by a three-way junior C semi involving local, Kevin McGuire, Cork’s Alan O’Leary and Ulster’s hot shot, Aaron Hughes. Closing Friday’s programme is the first novice 2 semi-final, Mayo’s Kevin Lavelle v Leinster’s Noel Carr and Ulster’s Paddy O’Neill. The significance of these fixtures is that it leaves the Mayo contenders free to attend the football final on the Saturday. Saturday’s timeframe sees the remaining semi-finals pencilled in for 10.00am (Novice 2); 12.00 (Jun C) and 2.00pm (novice 1). The three finals have a similar time schedule on Sunday
The programme for the Mayo All-Ireland series is:
Friday September 10:
3.00pm, Novice 1 semi-final, David Hughes (Connaught) v Eoin O’Donovan (Munster).
4.30pm, Junior C semi-final 1, Kevin McGuire (Connaught) v Alan O’Leary (Munster) v Aaron Hughes (Ulster).
6.00pm, Novice 2 semi-final 1, Kevin Lavell (Connaught) v Noel Carr (Leinster) v Paddy O’Neill (Ulster).
Saturday September 11:
10.00am Novice 2 semi-final 2, Danny O’Shea (London) v Travis McClintick (North America) v Darren Kelly (Munster).
12.00 Junior C semi-final 2, Brendan O’Donovan (North America) v Padraigh Nugent (London) v Gary Shevlin (Leinster).
2.00pm Novice 1 semi-final 2, Sean O’Mahony (North America) v J. P. Clinton (Leinster) v Padraigh Mallon (Ulster).
Sunday September 12:
10.00am Novice 2 final.
12.00 Junior C final:
2.00pm Novice 1 final.