Bowling Report - Week ending 24th August

Proud Sister and Father Hannah & Jim Cronin with Michael A

Patsy O'Sullivan r-up in the Vintage B Final at Inch

Padraigh Scanlon (NE) in Novice A County Final action at Curraheen

Pa Daly (East) in Novice D County Final action at Ballinacurra

Novice D Finlaists at Ballinacurra Pa Daly (East) and Cathal O'Sullivan (Car

Novice C Finalists atNewcestown Billy Healy (Nth), Liam Kearney (Gael) with reff Finbarr

Novice B Finalists at Grange David Minihane (Car) & Michael A.Cronin (West)

Novice A Finalists at Curraheen Padraigh Scanlon (NE), Kevin Ó'Crualaoi (Mid)

Novice 2 regional final at Newcastle Alan Long bt Graham O'Sullivan

Mick Barry Cup Finalists James O'Donovan, Gary Daly & Aidan Murphy

Michael A.Cronin (West) in Novice B County Final action at Grange

Liam Kearney (Gael) in Novice C County Final action at Newcestown

Leinster Novice 2 Winner Alan Long with Leinster Officials

Kevin Ó'Crualaoi (Mid) in Junior C County Final action at Curraheen

Junior C County Finalists at Derrinasaffa Eoin O'Donovan (Mid) & Cathal Creedon (Gael)

John Murphy in Action in the Car-SW-West Vintage B Final at Inch

Graham O'Sullivan bt Timmy Cooney in Newcastle with reff Declan Burke

James O'Donovan wins Mick Barry Cup (King of the Roads Qualifier)

Eoin O'Donovan (Mid) in Junior C County Final Action at Derrinasaffa

David O'Brien in Novice A SF Action at Shannonvale

Elsie O'Donoghue (Nth) bt Carla Healy (City) U-12 QF at Carrignavar

David Minihane in Novice B County Final Action at Grange

Billy Healy in Novice C County Final Action at Newcestown

Cathal O'Sullivan in Novice D County Final Action at Ballinacurra

Cathal Creedon in Junior C County Final Action at Derrinasaffa

Connie K.O'Sullivan Cup Finalists at The Marsh Road Brian Wilmot & Paul Buckley

COUNTY JOY FOR CREEDON, O'SULLIVAN & CRONIN

The last of the semi-finals were played on Monday 18th, both novice A semi-finals, the first at Beal Na Marbh between Padraigh Scanlon, Blarney and Tom Cronin, Mayfield playing for a stake of €4,500 a-side. Cronin took the first two shots but Scanlon lined a huge third to take his first lead at the cottages. Two poor bowls in succession to and away from the Rock for Cronin and Scanlon extended his lead to a bowl of odds. After ten and eleven into the hedging Scanlon had almost two bowls with only two shots to go. In the other semi-final at Shannonvale Kevin Ó’Crualaoi Innishannon beat David O’Brien Dunmanway by almost two bowls playing for €2,310 a-side. A sluggish start by both but after three to McSweeney’s O’Brien had fifty meters of odds. After three more around the Quarry bend O’Brien’s odds was the same. But from here Ó’Crualaoi did some astonishing bowling, he got a phenomenal seventh shot well above Buttimers pillars that won him his first lead, he followed this up with another super bowl to Desmond’s where he now had a bowl of odds. O’Brien got a super bowl up off the cross that Ó’Crualaoi beat by forty meters in two. O’Brien missed Kingstons and Ó’Crualaoi made the end of Kingston’s wall a big bowl of odds up again. He followed up with two more huge bowls to Campbell’s where he won by two bowls of odds.

In a novice D semi-final played at the Clubhouse, Cathal O’Sullivan, Caheragh played Mikey O’Callaghan, Ballyvourney for €950 a-side. O’Sullivan, at the chip cross had a bowl of odds. O’Callaghan had it down to forty meters at Dineen’s lane, both made Clon Cross in eight each where O’Sullivan was throwing over thirty meters. This false piece of road did O’Sullivan no favours as his bowl broke badly and the odds was now down to twenty five meters. O’Sullivan lined two perfect bowls from here to O’Riordan’s where he raised a bowl of odds again, he made the railings in two more where he extended his lead with the bowl and held this to the finish.

The Carbery-South West-West vintage B final was played at Inch between two west cork men, Patsy O’Sullivan, Kealkil playing John Murphy, Togher for a stake of €1,500 a-side. This was a shot for shot duel, with both players having their moment, it was anyone’s score right up to the last shot. O’Sullivan opened with two poor bowls but Murphy didn’t take advantage of this and only lead by twenty meters. O’Sullivan’s another poor effort with his third and Murphy put daylight between them. O’Sullivan got a nice touch off the Bridge with his fifth and followed up with a huge sixth to sight for the race course that gave him his first lead by one meter. Murphy was back in front again after three more by twelve meters and the U-12 line. Another lead was to come when O’Sullivan lined a big tenth and Murphy’s bowl seemed weak and fell left and missed the tip. After three more back of the line it was anyone’s score where Murphy had ten meters of an advantage. O’Sullivan lined an average last bowl, Murphy’s bowl went in left hind bowl but just beat the tip by two meters,

It was a weekend of high drama, big stakes and West Cork success as five county finals were decided across the grades, as the All-Ireland series in Drogheda draws closer.

Newcestown hosted the novice C county final between Liam Kearney (Inchageelagh) and Billy Healy (Kanturk) with a hefty €6,800 a-side riding on it. This was a post to pillar performance by the North Cork man, grandson of Connie Moylan. At the lollipops in three each, Healy had a twenty five meter advantage. Both got huge bowls to O’Brien’s cross. A blunder here from Kearney with his fifth where he was punished by Healy who raised big odds up past Keane’s & O’Donovan’s farmhouse’s. At Canty’s lane Healy had big odds with the bowl and when he opened the last bend the odds doubled. He now plays Cathal O’Sullivan the Novice D winner for the Novice 2 representative for Bol Chumann in Drogheda.

Ballinacurra staged the Novice D County final between Cathal O’Sullivan (Caheragh) and Pa Daly (Fermoy) playing for a stake of €1,520 a-side. Both opened strongly with O’Sullivan shading it by twenty meters. Three more through Brinny X where O’Sullivan still had 1 fifteen meter advantage. Daly took his fifth out over the rough and made the end of the church wall, O’Sullivan play was not great and his bowl turned in left to give Daly his first lead. Daly got a huge bowl from the Gasworks and was throwing his odds over forty meters back of Perriots, but three poor bowls in succession and O’Sullivan was back in control again at the GAA entrance. O’Sullivan made Innishannon X where he had huge odds but Daly lined a massive second last that O’Sullivan only beat by twenty meters and it was suddenly down to a last shot. However Daly’s last was always left and missed the bend and O’Sullivan had nothing to beat, he now plays Billy Healy for the Novice 2.

Cathal Creedon (Ballyvourney) made up for the disappointment of his U-18 loss when he won the junior C county Final from Eoin O’Donovan (Belgooly) at Derrinasaffa, playing for €2,400 a-side this was top drawer bowling from Creedon a post to pillar victory. They were at the end of the long wall in two each where Creedon had thirty meters of odds, a dreadful poor bowl from O’Donovan here and he was suddenly fighting the score, Creedon was over the bridge in two more where he had almost a bowl, he raised the bowl with his next and when he opened sight at Natties he had almost two bowls. O’Donovan got two super bowls through Cotter’s Cross and up to the Darkwood turn where he knocked the two bowls by ten meters. O’Donovan kept it under the 2bls up past Walsh’s Lane and on for Hon Grady’s, but there was no denying Creedon his victory.

Padraigh Scanlon from (Carrignavar) was a trap to line winner over Kevin Ó’Crualaoi (Innishannon) in the novice A county final played at Curraheen for a stake of €7,400 a-side. Scanlon broke off first and got three good bowls to Ballinora Cross where he had almost a bowl of odds. A lot of Ó’Crualaoi’s bowls went left. Scanlon was out sight at the bridge in three more great bowls where he doubled his margin of odds. Ó’Crualaoi did the best of his bowling up the rising road, he had the odds back to an even bowl at the Rock Gap but undid all his good work when he misplaced his fourteenth shot into the left at Richards lane, Scanlon went full sight and the odds was closer to two bowls again, Ó’Crualaoi saved the two bowls.

On down to Grange for the fifth and last county final of the weekend, here we had the novice B county final between Leap man David Minihane and Michael A.Cronin from Togher cross near Dunmanway playing for €5,100 as. Like three of the other finals this weekend there was no lead for Minihane in this score. Cronin opened with a phenomenal first shot that almost went full sight at the Stud farm bend, Minihane beat this by forty meters in two shots, Cronin’s second bowl was left but got a huge touch to almost sight at Hollands. Minihane got a good third to Hollands and Cronin made down past De Barra’s in two more where he had almost a bowl of odds. Minihane missed sight for the School cross and Cronin made full sight, Minihane played a parley cue that went into the green no sight at Hegarty’s. After two more facing up the hill Cronin had almost two bowls of odds. he held this advantage up past John Bills. Minihane knocked big odds with his twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth shots but undid the good works when he missed out the last bend at Barry’s and victory went to Cronin who will now play Padraigh Scanlon for the Novice 1 title.

JAMES O'DONOVAN EARNS HIS KING OF THE ROADS SEMI FINAL SPOT

The Mick Barry Cup final was played at Ballincurrig between James O’Donovan v Gary Daly v Aidan Murphy for a stake of €4,550 as. A lucky touch off the stones with his fourth shot to the no-play line for O’Donovan set him up nicely for victory. Where he had a bowl of odds on both Murphy and Daly. Three more good bowls to the top of the long straight where he held his bowl advantage on both and where Murphy was just fore bowl of Daly. O’Donovan at the bottom of the short straight in two more and out to the sycamores with his eleventh where he had big odds with the bowl. He opened the last bend in thirteen and into the green winning by two bowls of odds on both players. He now qualifies for the King of the Roads semi-final.

A long standing tournament final was finally played out at the Marsh Road for the Connie K.O’Sullivan cup between Brian Wilmot and Paul Buckley, playing for a stake of €1,400 a-side. Buckley had the early advantage in this one, he was up past Longs Bus entrance in three bowls where he had sixty meters of odds, he held this advantage to the Quarry gate. At the silvery gate he raised the bowl of odds from here he went out the steps in three more where he still had a bowl of odds. Wilmot upped his game from here and went out Ballyhily bend it two astronomical shots that won him his first lead by twenty meters. Wilmot followed up with another huge bowl to the avenue gate where he was throwing his odds over twenty meters. Buckley got a big second last and beat the line with a massive last shot that Wilmot missed and Buckley snatched the honours.