Bowling Report - Week ending 22nd June

MURPHY & MCDONAGH PROGRESS ON IN INTERMEDIATE

An Intermediate quarter final score was played at Lyre where Garda David Shannon took on Paul Buckley for a stake of €1,500 a-side. This was a poor performance overall from both players. After three each past the Forest Entrance Buckley had eighty meters of odds. Two more back of the tunnel for Shannon and two more to Crowley’s Wall where he found himself a bowl of odds down. Buckley held this bowl advantage up and around Crowley’s bend and in two more to McCarthy’s bend. Shannon could make no inroads into this lead and a huge fifteenth shot back of the Forge Cross sealed the deal for Buckley, he now plays Patrick Stokes in the semi-final @ Kilcorney.

In another quarter final at Conna Timmy McDonagh brother of Arthur beat last year’s Junior a county and all-Ireland winner Michael Murphy by the last shot playing for €3,500 a-side. No medals will be given out for performance in this one. Both into the hollow in three each Murphy was fore bowl by four meters. At Colman’s bend in five each McDonagh was yet to lead. He took the lead with a good sixth to Cullinane’s, he rose nice odds in the next two to the start of the railings and had almost a bowl of odds in three more looking down at the gas line. Murphy knocked big odds with a super twelfth past the gas line, and at the Novice line the odds was down to fifty meters. Murphy put in a fantastic finish with huge fourteenth and fifteenth shots and left McDonagh with a big bowl to beat but he lined it well and is into the semi-final where he plays John O’Rourke at Newcestown.

JULIETTE MOVING UP TO SENIOR RANKS

Juliette Murphy is back in the senior ranks after her victory over Julianne Hayes in the intermediate final at Castletown. Hayes had the better start in this score lining great bowls to the railings, but from here and on up the rising tough road Murphy produced some top class shots and at Round Tower cross had a bowl of odds. She held this odds to Pynes corner and rose further odds at sight for the netting and held this odds to the finish. Juliette was a county and All-Ireland winner in this grade in 2007 and was a county runner-up in 2022. Julianne no stranger either to finals she contested under-age counties and won the junior in 2017.

A group a senior ladies score was played at Togher Cross between Veronica O’Mahony and Emma Fitzpatrick, no stake in this one. Fitzpatrick had the lead for the first five shots to the bridge, from here O'Mahony took the lead and with three more out to Jagoes Cross she had a three meter advantage. O’Mahony powered over the bridge and at Nora Cotters Cross she raised a full bowl. A super fifteenth from Fitz to O’Farrell’s Cottage knocked considerable odds and after O’Mahony’s next the odds was down to fifteen meters. At Cronin’s garage nothing separated the tips, but after two more to the school wall O’Mahony had almost a bowl again and finished with a big shot to win by a bowl

P.J. COONEY TAKE THE JUNIOR VETERAN TITLE

The Junior Veteran final was played at Grenagh between P.J. Cooney East Cork against Jerry Murphy fifteen years his senior from Templemartin. Jerry was again going to be denied a Junior Veteran title having been a runner-up also in 2012 to Tony Carey. Playing for a stake of €1,500 a-side. Murphy took the first two shots of this score but from there on Cooney was in control. He got a great third bowl to the lollipops that won him his first lead he extended his lead around the double bends and raised the bowl fully with his sixth shot. Up past the farm in three more Cooney extended his lead to a bowl and one hundred meters and held this to Magnier’s Lane. Murphy played two great bowls first past the bungalow and a super twelfth but knocked no odds as Cooney followed and beat them well. Both out to Boula Lane in two more where Cooney had almost two bowls and now awaits the winner of the Novice Veteran section.

SHOULD BE A GOOD ONE

Eoghan Kelly from Macroom and Tommy Coppinger from Bantry will contest this year’s U-12 County final at Castletown when they both won their respective semi-finals during the week. On Monday at Ballinagree Kelly took on Charlie Callanan from Farranree. Kelly was out sight at Mannings Lane in three good bowls, Callanan lined a big fourth but Kelly’s fourth was an incredible one to the pump house that raised eighty meters of odds for him. From here Callanan lined some beautiful bowls but could not keep up with the pace of Kelly as he raised a bowl at McCarthy’s Cottage and held this to the finish. On Thursday at Timoleague Tommy Coppinger beat Ed McCarthy from Adrigole in the second semi-final. They were both out the first bend in four good bowls where Coppinger took his first lead. Two more well played bowls to Hollands for Coppinger and a bad blunder from McCarthy yielded Coppinger almost a bowl of odds. McCarthy to the top of the hill in two more had the odds back to ten meters. They were deadlocked at Barry’s Hall Cross. Coppinger got a great bowl from here to the monument and was back of the line in another huge bowl to win by a bowl.

The second Junior B semi-final was played at Jagoes Mills, between Alex O’Donovan (South West) playing Micháel Desmond (Gael) for a total stake of €10,000. They were level after four shots each around O’Brien’s bend. Back of the footpath Desmond had a five meter lead, but O’Donovan won back the lead with a huge bowl to the double gates. At Lawton’s, O’Donovan had an eighty meter advantage and held this to the railway entrance, at the power station and on for the novice line O’Donovan still had big odds, O’Donovan was expected to take this big advantage through the cross in two more but Desmond lined a perfect bowl back of the cross that O’Donovan missed by thirty meters, O’Donovan missed the cross again with his next and suddenly Desmond was in control again. Desmond went through the cross and out full sight, O’Donovan beat this by fifty meters to keep his hopes alive. With two shots to go O’Donovan had the odds down to forty meters. O’Donovan lined a huge second last that Desmond missed by a big margin. Desmond missed the line and O’Donovan marches on to play Brian O’Driscoll in the final @ Castletown.

MEABH BOWS OUT OF UNDER 16

A girl’s under 16 county semi-final was played at Timoleague between last year’s U-16 County winner Maebh Cuinnea from Rosscarbery playing Shauna O’Driscoll sister of Brian who is in the junior B County final. Cuinnea led for the first four shots but Shauna got a great bowl to Cleary’s cottage that raised a bowl and increased her odds to two bowls at Holland bungalow. Well played bowls did not just run for Maebh and Shauna ran out a winner by two bowls and now plays Orla Murphy (Gael) in the final at Castletown. Could we have a brother and sister in this first series of all-Irelands at Castletown?

Ballygurteen held a Paddy Murray Cup score between local man Gavin Twohig and Edmund Sexton from Naad playing for a stake of €1,670 a-side. Sexton got two great opening bowls and was peeping sight at the first bend. Twohig got a great third and took the lead by five meters, but Sexton was back in front after his fourth shot and extended his lead to a bowl at the Women’s Lane. Sexton held this odds to Oakmount entrance and on past O’Mahony’s Coffee shop. Sexton raised a second bowl when he went up and around O’Donovan’s bend. Twohig rallied late but the odds was just too much and Sexton won out in the end by a bowl of odds.

O'BRIEN PROGRESS'S TO FINAL IN NOVICE VETERAN

In a novice veteran semi-final score at Dunderrow Paul O’Brien (East Cork) was victorious over Ger Fitzpatrick (South West) by the last shot. This was a score that Fitzpatrick let slip through his hands. No stake in this one. Both missed sight with their first and O’Brien was in front after their second, and nothing separated them after two more out sight. At Eli Lilly’s first entrance O’Brien had a slender lead of one meter, at the old School house O’Brien still led by five meters. Fitzpatrick got a poor ninth, tenth and eleventh and still O’Brien wasn’t taking the chances he was being given and here his lead was only ten meters. Fitzpatrick got a huge bowl to the Bridge that gave him back the lead by half a foot, on up the hill where O’Brien certainly had more speed O’Brien was back in front again but only by ten meters. Fitzpatrick lined a super fifteenth that O’Brien missed by three meters for the last shots. O’Brien missed the line in left and Fitzpatrick agonisingly missed the line by one foot. O’Brien was tight left with his last going around a left hand wind but got away with it and Fitzpatrick missed this well.