Bowling fans were treated to Christmas Crackers as festive season delivered top-class action

Kevin Ó'Crualaoi centre takes the Mikie Hourihane Cup @ Bauravilla

Sandra O'Shea & Susan Power accept a cheque of €4,250 from Christy Mullins Sec. Castletownbere club

Pick up at Ballinacurra Ronan O'Donovan bt Gearoid Lucey

Kieran Murphy bt Noel O'Donovan in the Dan Joe Holland Mid Cork Regional Junior A championship

Junior B Tournament @ Ballinacurra Eoin O'Riordan bt John A.Murphy with reff Tim Walsh

Gary Daly & Aidan Murphy with ref Christy Mullins @ Castletownbere

Deirdre Minihane representing Cancer Connect accept a cheque of €4,250 from Christy Mullins

Damien Daly and Michael O'Leary bt Cian Young and Niall O'Driscoll @ The Marsh Road

Anne Finch & Donal O'Sullivan accept a cheque of €8,500 for the RNLI

Ballinacurra Jun. A 9-Man Christmas Tournament SF David Hegarty bt Noel O'Donovan bt Noel O'Regan

Ballinacurra Jun. A 9-Man Christmas Tournament SF Andrew O'Callaghan bt Cian Boyle bt David Shannon

Ballinacurra Jun. A 9-Man Christmas Tournament SF Denis Wilmot bt Conor Creedon bt Sean Murphy

As the bowling season came to a conclusion for 2025, clubs around the county enjoyed a bountiful Christmas-New Year with a vast number of scores throughout the holiday period. Tournament semi-finals & finals that attracted fine attendances as did the host of challenge, club and RNLI fund-raising fixtures that were played daily from Christmas Eve to Sunday January 4th.

Christmas Eve saw the Togher Cross club host their club fund-raiser, here David Hegarty beat Cathal Creedon by the last shot for €3,100 a-side. Hegarty took the first two shots but Creedon got a massive third back of the bridge to take his first lead. Hegarty pilled on the pressure from here and led by a bowl of odds back of Jagoes bend. Three great bowls from Creedon over the bridge where he had the odds back to thirty meters, a couple of wayward shots from Hegarty giving away his bowl of odds easily, at Nora Cotters cross Creedon had the odds down to five meters. Hegarty delivered an incredible bowl from back of Cronin’s Garage that made the school yard car park and Creedon only beat this by twenty five meters, Hegarty missed the line but had big odds for the last shot, Creedon put down a good bowl but not enough on this occasion. In a return score also at Togher Darren Harrington beat Sidney Shannon by one bowl for €2,770 a-side.

DENIS WILMOT, DAVID HEGARTY AND ANDREW O'CALLAGHAN QUALIFY FOR FINAL

The annual Ballinacurra Junior A 9-man tournament kicked off on Christmas Eve where Denis Wilmot made a great comeback to beat Conor Creedon and Sean Murphy, playing for a 3-way stake of €2,700 a-side. After three good opening bowls from Murphy to the far side of Brinny cross he had a commanding lead on both his opponents, almost a bowl on Wilmot and throwing his odds over forty meters on Creedon. Creedon took his first lead by twenty five meters from Murphy with an incredible bowl past the waterworks, Murphy kept in touch with Creedon with a good bowl past the gas line, Wilmot got two great bowls to Perrot’s to get himself right back in the score where only twenty five meters separated all three with Murphy back in front. Both Wilmot and Creedon made the crush and Murphy extended his lead to the hurling alley, a bad blunder from Wilmot where he only beat Murphy’s tip by twenty meters, Creedon got a huge bowl out sight for the bridge that won him back the lead yet again from Murphy. At the bridge Wilmot was almost a bowl out of it. From here the score changed dramatically, Murphy hit the Bridge, Creedon also went in at the bridge and Wilmot made the silvery gates getting himself right back in the score where he had the odds down to twenty five meters. Another super bowl from Wilmot out sight for the home straight and now, Murphy beat this by one meter and Creedon beat it by twelve meters. Murphy was back in front at the Junior C line. Not a great fourteenth from Wilmot he only beat Murphy’s tip by thirty meters with Creedon now trailing. The battle was now between Wilmot and Murphy, Wilmot got a great bowl to go out sight for the finish line and Murphy missed this to give Wilmott his first lead of the score. Murphy missed the finish line and Wilmot lined his well and booked his place in the final. In a return score Ronan O’Donovan beat Gearoid Lucey by the last shot for €1,350 a-side.

On St Stephens Day David Hegarty took the second semi-final when he beat Noel O’Donovan and Noel O’Regan by two bowls and last shot, playing for €4,600 a-side. All three were back of Brinny Cross in three shots with Hegarty taking all the shots to this point. O’Regan got an incredible fifth shot past Foley’s and on to the Waterworks that gave him his first lead on Hegarty by half meter and thirty meters on O’Donovan. But this was to be his only lead as O’Donovan and Hegarty got great sixth shots back of the Muddy Gap. Hegarty extended his lead with a nice touch off Perriot’s shed wall. O’Regan just beat this tip to keep it under the bowl. At the GAA pitch Hegarty had a hundred meters on O’Regan and fifty on O’Donovan, Both O’Regan and O’Donovan made just back of the Bridge and incredibly Hegarty gave away the lead to O’Donovan when he buried his ninth in left below the GAA entrance. O’Regan’s next got caught at the bridge, Hegarty lined another huge bowl up past the silvery gates that O’Donovan beat by twenty meters. O’Regan missed these tips and was a bowl down. Two more poor bowls from O’Regan and now he found himself almost two bowls down. O’Donovan held a twenty five meter lead on Hegarty heading up the home straight. Hegarty lined a jet of a twelfth shot to the hedging before the avenue that won back the lead for him from O’Donovan. O’Donovan made Cronin’s entrance with his next but Hegarty beat this by forty meters, O’Donovan’s second last bowl was very unlucky when it turned in left any pick back and Hegarty would have had a dirty bowl to beat but Hegarty had fifty meters for the last shot, O’Donovan lined a good bowl but Hegarty’s odds was too much and beat the tip by twenty meters to book his place in the final. In a return score Jim Coffey beat Kevin Ó’Crualaoi by a big las shot for €3,650 a-side.

Saturday 27th saw the third semi-final played between David Shannon, Andrew O’Callaghan and Cian Boyle playing for a total stake of €15,000. Back of Brinny cross in three each with O’Callaghan leading, he held a thirty meter lead on Boyle up to the Church Gate, Shannon got a massive fifth past Foley’s that Boyle missed and O’Callaghan beat by twenty meters. Boyle went through a bad faze with his next few shots, so much so that he was a bowl down at Perrot’s. Shannon took his first lead when he lined a great sixth to the gas line that O’Callaghan missed his bowl went right. After two more to the hurling alley for Shannon he had forty five meters on O’Callaghan and a bowl on Boyle. Shannon made sight for the bridge with his ninth and O’Callaghan only beat this by twenty meters and still Boyle was a bowl down. Shannon got a beautiful tenth shot that O’Callaghan even though it looked to be played very well pulled in left and missed the tip well he was now also a bowl down. Boyle missed Shannon’s tip and went two bowls down, but there was a twist to come. O’Callaghan knocked the bowl of odds with a huge thirteenth shot out straight road, a dip in form from O’Callaghan and Shannon up the home straight let Boyle right back into this score. Boyle opened the last bend, Shannon missed this tip and O’Callaghan beat both tips to have big odds for the last shot. Shannon and Boyle both missed the line and incredibly O’Callaghan was too far left and missed the line also, but he had 35mts on Shannon and four meters on Boyle for the last shots. Shannon dropped his last shot and it turned in left. Boyle got an average bowl and O’Callaghan beat it well to set up a Denis Wilmot v David Hegarty v Andrew O’Callaghan Final in late January. In a return score Ronan O’Donovan beat Con Cronin by one bowl for €600 a-side.

RECORD SCORE AS MURPHY AND DALY CLASH FOR TOTAL STAKE OF €110,000

The annual RNLI fund-raiser drew the crowds to Castletownbere on Sunday 28th and Monday 29th, the West Cork pair of Shane Crowley and Brian O’Driscoll got the weekend off to a winning start when they beat Timmy McDonagh and Anthony Crowley by the last shot for a stake of €8,400 a-side. At the truck park in three each the City pairing were seven meters fore bowl. The West Cork pair went sight above the graveyard in two more and held a slender lead of two meters. After two more to the double chicanes, O’Driscoll could have done better but left his bowl right only fifteen meters fore bowl. Around the double chicanes in two more West Cork led by one meter. Anthony Crowley got a great tenth shot that won back the lead for the City pair as Shane Crowley was left of play. They held a one meter lead at the council yard. Shane Crowley went full sight at the last bend with a very well-played bowl. Anthony Crowley’s bowl was soft and fell left no sight. McDonagh last was too far left and Brian O’Driscoll beat this by forty meters for the last shots. Anthony Crowley put down a super bowl but not enough as Shane Crowley beat it by fifteen meters.

In a return score Jimmy O’Brien beat Eoin McCarthy by one bowl playing for a total stake of €50,000. After three bowls to the council yard O’Brien took his first lead and had twelve meters of odds. McCarthy was back in front after four. McCarthy was cost a lot of odds when his fifth was accidentally blocked at the double bends but he was still fore bowl by five meters. O’Brien was back in front after two more back of Harrington’s yard. McCarthy lined an absolute perfect eighth out full sight for the Graveyard, O’Brien followed it but missed tip by fifteen meters, O’Brien covered the whole straight to the truck park with his ninth but McCarthy followed it and made the lower side of the truck park where had odds now of one hundred meters. O’Brien got a massive shake off the left dyke that took him to the Grotto, a bad mistake here from McCarthy when he played his bowl too far right and dropped his odds back to thirty meters. O’Brien got the longest bowl ever from this point when he beat the line and McCarthy missed this.

All financial records were broken for the senior score between Aidan Murphy and Gary Daly when they played for a total stake of €110,000. Not a great first shot from either player, Murphy two feet in front, but both settled with a good second bowls back of the Grotto, Daly fore by twenty meters but alas it was to be his only lead. Murphy got an unreal third shot up full sight at the truck park, Daly’s third broke left and missed tip by fifty meters and only made the end of the truck park with his next. Murphy unleashed another huge bowl and went full sight at the Graveyard bend with his fifth where he had a full bowl of odds. Daly held it to the bowl around the double chicanes, and at the council yard in ten and eleven it was just under the bowl by two meters. After three more to the junior line Murphy extended his lead to thirty meters with the bowl. Daly got a good sixteenth up the last straight that knocked the bowl briefly, and when Murphy lined a huge sixteenth up the left hand track it was enough for Daly to shake hands.

Back down in the final score of Sunday’s fixtures Wayne Parkes had a victory over Timmy McDonagh. At the Council yard in three Parkes had three meters of odds. Two more each to the double bends where Parkes was in for a loft. McDonagh caught the bridge lovely and won his first lead by one meter. Parkes was very right with his sixth but still made the lollipops and McDonagh was tight right but it turned out nicely and went full sight at the Graveyard bend. Parkes got a super rub with his seventh and McDonagh made the middle of the truck park eighty meters fore bowl. Parkes got an incredible eight that cut two bends and took him half way to the Grotto. McDonagh eight was too far right and Parkes was back in front by ten meters. McDonagh caught a stone in the left with his ninth and Parkes grasped the opportunity to take this score when he lined a perfect last shot that beat the finish line to win by a bowl of odds.

Scores continued on Monday at Castletownbere where Noel O’Donovan and Conor Creedon got proceedings under way playing for a stake of €8,000 a-side. At the truck park in three each Creedon took his first lead by fifteen meters. Creedon extended his lead at the graveyard wall but undid his good work when he failed to go full sight with his next. The rub of the green favoured Creedon in his next three shots to the chicane, after two more to sight for the council yard Creedon was throwing his odds but made a blunder with his eleventh and now the odds was down to thirty five meters. O’Donovan got a super bowl to the Council yard and had the odds back to five meters with three shots to go. O’Donovan beat the line in two well played bowls to take the honours.

A mixed doubles was the return score here Jimmy O’Driscoll teamed up with Hannah Cronin to play the South West pair of David Hegarty and Ellen Sexton for a stake of €25,000 a-side. Three good opening bowls from the South West pair well below the council yard, after a perfect fourth from Sexton they had a full bowl of odds heading for the chicane. At the bridge in seven each the South West pair were throwing their odds over ten meters. Hegarty got a good bowl to Harrington’s, but Hannah Cronin got an exceptional bowl to the lower pillar at the layby. Sexton got a good bowl but just fell short of full sight at the graveyard bend. O’Donovan made full sight and then came a dramatic twist for the South West pair in this score when Hegarty caught the end of the wall and they dropped substantial odds. Cronin made the graveyard entrance and Sexton got a poor bowl over right and suddenly the South West odds was down to twenty meters. O’Driscoll eleventh how it came out of a drain two feet deep, baffled all and ran another fifty meters, Hegarty’s bowl went the same direction but no such luck for him bowl stopped dead. Two more poor bowls from the South West pair and O’Driscoll and Cronin won by almost a bowl.

Next up we had two of our PJA’s Cathal Creedon playing Anthony Crowley for a stake of €21,000 a-side. Creedon got an exceptional first shot to the co-action centre and was gifted a bowl of odds when Crowley missed the tip in two. It was to be the deciding factor in the score. At the start of the truck park Creedon held his bowl of odds. Crowley knocked the bowl of odds with a good fifth half way up the graveyard wall, Creedon pulled his in right into the nook and missed up sight again at the graveyard bend, Creedon got a big touch to the layby pillar and made sight for the chicanes with his next, Crowley still had it under the bowl here by fifteen meters. After four shots more from both players heading for the council yard it was still under the bowl by thirty meters. A blip from Creedon with his eleventh missed the council yard, Crowley got a big bowl to the upper side of the council yard, score looked dead level, but Creedon worked his incredible right hand pull and done the impossible and went full sight at the last bend. There was nothing Crowley could do only go sight also and his start cost him at least a last shot.

The final score of the weekend was between Brian Horgan and Kevin Ó’Crualaoi played back for a stake of €12,500 a-side. Two each out sight for the first bend Ó’Crualaoi had fifteen meters of odds. Horgan took his first lead with a huge third past the council yard but Ó’Crualaoi was back in front after a well-played fourth to full sight. Both made the bridge in two more where they played off the one tip. Heading for the graveyard bend Ó’Crualaoi had valuable meters as he could see the wall, Horgan was caught sight, but he put down a rasher tight bowl with his ninth shot that Ó’Crualaoi only beat by twenty meters. Two poor next bowls from Horgan past the truck park where he found himself almost a bowl down, almost impossible to win if you’re a bowl down at this juncture, and Ó’Crualoai went on to win by almost a bowl. At the presentation of funds to the three charities. Chairman of the Castletownbere club thanked all the players and all the supporters that travelled the long distance to make the weekend the success that it was. Presentations were made to the RNLI of €8,500, to Castletownbere day care centre of €4,225 and Cancer Connect of €4,225, all recipients were on hand to accept and thanked the club for their very generous donations.

Kieran Murphy booked his place in the Dan Joe Holland Cup final where he will play Denis Wilmot. On Sunday he beat Noel O’Donovan by the last shot for €1,250 a-side. Both were across the main road in four shots with Murphy just fore bowl by four meters. O’Donovan took the lead with a big bowl to Foley’s, at Brinny House in three more O’Donovan had odds of thirty meters but Murphy reduced this to a meter at the crush. Murphy was back in front with a very well-played tenth bowl to sight for the bridge and two more out full sight for the line, Murphy just missed the finish line with his thirteenth and O’Donovan missed this tip.

CARRIGNAVAR/BOTTLEHILL COMPLETE ANOTHER VERY SUCESFULL CHRISTMAS TOURNAMENT

Carrignavar ran off their annual Christmas and new-year tournaments, all preliminary rounds were played in Carrignavar and the finals in Bottlehill culminating in victories for Liam Walsh/T.J.Homan/Jake Bowen over Jack O’Leary/Martin Daly/Kieran Daly for €3,200 a-side in the A final and Patrick Connolly/Pat Scanlon/Cormac Murphy beating Joe Walsh/Denis Murphy/Donie Connolly for €2,000 as in the B final, chairman Tom O’Donovan thanked all the players for taking part a total of over 125 in all. It has been an annual North East regional event for the past forty years.

Ó'CRUALAOI STARTS YEAR WITH MIKIE HOURIHANE CUP WIN

Bauravilla wrapped up the Mikie Hourihane Cup on Sunday 04th where Kevin ÓCrualaoi beat David O’Brien and Kevin Minihane playing for a total stake of €6,000 a-side. O’Brien made the better start to this final making Robins cross in two good bowls, he increased his odds in two more to the nettings and raised a bowl on Minihane and two bowls on Ó’Crualaoi at Deckers. From here Ó’Crualaoi got down to business and at the rock he reduced the odds to one bowl with Minihane still trailing by a big bowl of odds. Minihane fell further behind at the double gates and Ó’Crualaoi was keeping O’Brien’s odds at the bowl. Ó’Crualaoi unleashed a huge bowl to the bridge that O’Brien only beat by twenty meters in two shots to level up the score. Ó’Crualaoi took his first lead with another huge bowl towards the line, and had big odds for the last shot. O’Brien missed the line and Ó’Crualaoi takes home the Mikie Hourihane Cup for 2025.

Conor Lucey booked his place in the semi-final of the Hancy Hubbard Cup, Hancy being his grand-mother when he beat Eoin O’Riordan at Beal Na Marbh for a total stake of €3,000. Lucey led from trap to line in this one. Past the cottage in four shots Lucey had eighty meters of odds. O’Riordan laid down some fine shots but Lucey covered each one. Past the Rock in two more Lucey extended his odds to one hundred meters and raised the bowl fully with a huge bowl to the palms. Past the forest entrance and out the next bend Lucey raised a second bowl of odds and held this past the novice line. O’Riordan knocked the two bowls briefly when Lucey missed out the last bend but got a huge next back of the line to win by almost two bowls.

Many clubs held fund-raising day’s to alleviate the cost of club insurance, at Caheragh Alan Keane and Triona Murphy beat Gavin Crowley and Natalie Dempsey last shot for €1,650 a-sides. Finbarr Coughlan and Brendan Crowley beat Alan Brickley and Eoin Hurley for €2,500 a-sides. Colm Crowley beat Jonathon Deane last shot for €2,400 a-side.

At Drimoleague Cornelius/Joe O’Mahony beat Darragh McCarthy/Cian Young last shot €1,420 a-side. Denis Murphy beat John O’Regan last shot for €2,000 a-side. Denis O’Driscoll beat Liam Hurley two bowls €2,050 a-side. Alan Keane beat Peter Kelly last shot €1,450 a-side.

At the Marsh Road where they held some double scores, Kieran O’Sullivan/Cian Minihane beat Denis Murphy/Michael O’Leary by one bowl for €350 a-side. Matthew Limerick/Sean O’Neill beat Kieran/Eoin O’Sullivan by two bowls for €600 a-side. Pat/Luke Nolan beat Niall/Jerry O’Sullivan by one bowl for €500 a-side and Michael O’Leary/Damien Daly beat Cian Young/Niall O’Driscoll for €2,000 a-side.

At The Clubhouse Eoin Hurley (K) beat Alan Keane one bowl €1,600 a-side. Brian Horgan beat Padraigh O’Sullivan one bowl €1,900 a-side. Alan Brickley beat James O’Driscoll one bowl €2,150 a-side. David Deane beat Andy McCarthy two bowls €2,400 a-side.

At Bauravilla Shane and Eileen McCarthy beat Gavin and Aisling Crowley one bowl €250 a-side. Natalie Dempsey beat Triona Murphy last shot €500 a-side.

At Leap Kieran O’Sullivan (L) beat Kieran Hurley by the last shot for €600 a-side, Martin Collins beat Cornelius O’Mahony by one bowl for €900 a-side, David and Cian Minihane beat Alan Keane and Jimmy O’Regan by one bowl for €700 a-side.

At Bantry Jimmy O’Driscoll and Donal Riordan had one each for stakes of €3,500 a-side in both and Denis O’Driscoll by Murish Buttimer by one bowl for €1,000 as.

At Schull Patrick Hodnett beat Cornelius Donegan €370 a-side. Kieran Sheehan beat John O’Sullivan €420 a-side, David O’Callaghan/Aaron Barry beat Jason Nyhan/Michael Sheehan €600 a-side. Jimmy O’Regan beat Michael O’Mahony €600 a-side.