Fionn Dwyer won the Kenneth Murphy Memorial Cup tournament final at Jagoe’s Mills on Saturday coming in almost a bowl of odds ahead of Feidhlim O’Neill of Ballygarvan. A competitive decider that carried a €1,300 total stake, had O’Neill leading early but then on the hind foot following Dwyer’s nice touch at ‘O’Brien’s corner’. Belgooley man, Dwyer, raced to a lead of almost a bowl of odds after six but was pegged back by a determined O’Neill who took back the lead at ‘Lawton’s’. Dwyer came again with two of the best to ‘the power station’ and these proved decisive as he regained his earlier ascendancy. Another tournament dedicated to those in the lower rankings was completed at Rosscarbery and here there was a turn-up for the books as Reenascreena’s Liam Ronan overcame local favourite Kieran Fitzpatrick to win the Pat O’Halloran Cup. Played down the Cahermore road, two exceptional efforts by Ronan paved the way for this success. His fifth, from above ‘Barry’s cross’ ran a huge distance while his last over the finish line stalled a resurgent Fitzpatrick who had fought his way back into contention. The Pat O’Halloran Cup has been part of Rosscarbery’s tournament schedule since 2004 and commemorates the memory of the popular publican who had been a great driving force within the club.
In a tournament second round score at Ballinacurra, Upton on Saturday, Tim Young overcame David Hubbard by almost two bowls. Bantry man, Young has enjoyed a successful year since his ascendancy to intermediate ranks and notched up another win by virtue of a succession of well-delivered shots on the stretch of road down by ‘Perrot’s’ and on to the GAA pitch entrance. They played for a total of €600 with Young the punter’s favourite. An interesting encounter on the way back Ballinaurrra saw Ballineen’s Eoin McCarthy edge out North Cork’s Conor Lucey, by a bowl of odds for a €2,000 total. McCarthy, who delivered one of the big championship shocks when eliminating U18’s hot favourite, Tommy O’Sullivan, in a summer South-West first rounder, matched European Championship youth’s player Lucey in an exciting shot for shot joust before beating a big last tip to win by the bowl. At Whitechurch on Saturday Cian Boyle put in a storming finish to deny All-Ireland U18 winner, Paddy O’Donnell in an exciting finale. Mitchlestown youth, O’Donnell, had the better of it for three-quarter of the way and held a bowl lead at the ’devil’s bend’. Boyle hit two of the finest to ‘Hegarty’s farm’ to level the contest and put down another big one to take the lead for the last shots. O’Donnell’s last did not trouble the City man. They played for a €2,400 total. At Derrinasafa on Sunday, Castledonovan’s Seamus O’Regan scored a win from Ronan O’Donovan, Kinsale, last shot, for €900 and in a return, Togher Cross tournament winner, James Hurley, kept his winning run going with a last shot victory over Declan O’Donovan (K) also for €900.
Another wet Sunday resulted in a raft of cancellations. Vintage scores at The Clubhouse did survive and resulted in a Skibbereen double. In the first of these, two likely contenders in section B clashed and it is last year’s runner-up, Donal Harnedy who progresses at the expense of former junior A, David Walsh. It was a good contest despite the conditions as both made ‘sight’ level tips in four good shots to ‘the chips’. Walsh missed an opportunity when Harnedy got little out of his next two and the contest stayed level to ‘Clon cross’ and on to ‘Murray’s’. Harnedy forged in front by forty metres in the shots to ‘O’Riordan’s’ and held that advantage to the last bend. Walsh did not get justice with his last and Harnedy beat the line with a fine delivery. They played for a €700 total. The evergreen Charlie O’Neill can still produce the goods as he showed in defying the elements with a fine display against Jerry O’Donovan of Mid Cork. Neither got much purchase in their opening shots and it was O’Neill who settled to rose a bowl of odds after three. Consistency was his hallmark as he doubled his lead in the next segment and he matched O’Donovan’s best efforts in holding his advantage to the finish. The stake at issue was €520. Charlie plays Tom O’Donovan in the next round at Castletownkenneigh. At Bweeng in section B (East) two men who have had their share of success in the elder grades had a good battle. James O’Leary, the novice veteran winner in 2016 won this second round contest from 2011 vintage winner, Denis Hickey, one bowl, for a €1,000 total.
For the second week running the concluding rounds of the ladies’ championships delivered an excellent contest. At the lower end of the age scale, Meabh Cuinnea (Carbery) and Chloe Hubbard (North Cork) had a terrific tussle at Beal na mBlath on Saturday for a place in the girls U12 final. Meabh’s splendid opening shot rose big odds, but the North Cork champion from Rylane was quickly into her stride forging ahead after four and looked like taking a commanding lead as the score reached the half-way point. Rosscarbery girl, Meabh turned it around with a brilliant ninth and followed up with a super throw to the ‘novice line’ with the result that the Carbery champion regained control for the last quarter. Although a bowl of odds separated them close to the finish, Chloe, a daughter indeed of bowling’s millennium senior champion, Catriona O’Rourke, showed her battling qualities in closing the gap, but her last didn’t run and it is Meabh who is through to the county final where she comes up against West Cork’s rising star, Shauna O’Driscoll. In junior ladies, the Mid Cork decider at Castletownkenneigh on Sunday morning went the way of Siobhan Kelleher. Playing Martina Foley in wet conditions, Siobhan took a while to shake off a determined opponent. The contest went level to the first bend and again down the ‘Kenneigh cross’. Siobhan took a stranglehold with big shots to the ‘triangle’, at which point she held a bowl lead. The Newcestown challenger showed her paces with excellent deliveries on the ‘straight’ and won by close on two bowls. She meets North Cork’s Emer Galvin in a county quarterfinal at Terelton.
There was plenty action too in the Novice E grade competitions around the county. In Mid Cork at Castletownkenneigh on Saturday, Kevin Walsh won a cracking semi-final from Donnacha O’Driscoll for a €1,280 total. This one went to the last shot. In Gaeltacht novice E, three were played on the Coolea Road, Ballyvourney, on Saturday. Ross Lynch defeated P J Herlihy by one bowl, Darragh O’Leary defeated Aaron Hoare and Niall Kelly got the better of Pat Healy. At Clondrohid on Sunday morning, Kevin Kelleher won from Daniel Kelly and Donal O’Shea won from Ray Fallen. In North Cork novice E at Bweeng, Trevor O’Sullivan defeated Paddy Finnegan by a bowl and Kieran Barry defeated Barry Twomey, last shot, for €400.
Bol Chumann’s Ladies Committee held its 2022 AGM at Avenue House on Tuesday 11th. The well-attended gathering heard reports on a busy season that included the organising of three adult grade and four under-age championships, competitions such as the ladies winter league and the Queen of the Road qualifying tournament and a very successful ‘Hers Outdoors’ event at Castletownkenneigh Auto Track. The Ladies Committee had substantial involvement in the preparation of players for the May European Championships held in Germany. Both adult and under-age teams achieved success with Rachel Kingston’s individual Gold Medal winning performance a spectacular highlight. There was no change in officers for 2023. Susan Greene is President; Caroline O’Leary is Chairperson and also fills the role of Safety Officer; Gretta Cormican is Honorary Secretary; Emer Wilmot is Treasurer; Meghan Collins is Youths Officer while Gretta is also Executive delegate. James O’Driscoll, Bol Chumann attended.
Margaret Daly’s exceptional efforts on behalf of CUH Colorectal Unit has realised a sum of €8,170 and the cheque for same was presented to Joanne McCarthy and Anne Murphy of the Unit at a pleasant function at Phair’s of Shannonvale recently. Margaret, a staunch member of Shannonvale Bowling Club, founded by her late husband, Liam, is the chief driver behind a five-day fund-raising series of scores which take place during a championship window in mid-August. This year’s event was supported by the bowling community across the county.