Bowling Report - Week ending 25th May

WE ROUND UP THE LATEST NEWS AFTER ANOTHER VERY BUSY WEEK ON THE ROADS

Michael Murphy, last year’s junior a county and all-Ireland winner booked his place in this year’s intermediate quarter final with a convincing win over Wayne Callanan at Firmount. This was a trap to line performance from Murphy leading by ten meters after three shots he extended this to a bowl of odds after six as Callanan got three wayward shots in a row. On a rough, tough piece of road Murphy held his odds to the cross, he rose a further bowl from here to the Grotto and where Callanan had enough. Murphy now plays Timmy McDonagh in the quarter final at Conna.

O'DONOVAN TO REPRESENT SOUTH WEST IN JUNIOR B

Alex O’Donovan will represent the South West region in the junior B championship after his two from two victories over Ger Connolly. Played at Shannonvale, both out the quarry bend in five each Connolly fore bowl, three more to Desmond’s where Connolly had fifteen meters of odds, O’Donovan was down to the end of Kingston’s wall in two huge bowls that rose a bowl of odds for him, Connolly had it under the bowl at Campbell’s but it was not enough as O’Donovan opened the bend before the finish line and raised and won by a bowl of odds. He now plays Patrick O’Brien of north east at Inchageelagh.

O'DONOVAN TAKES BALLINACURRA D TOURNAMENT

In the midst of this busy season of championship Ballinacurra managed to complete their novice D tournament, in this final we had age and experience up against youth and strength. Tom O’Donovan, Innishannon playing Brian Galvin, Templemartin playing for a total stake of €2,000. Galvin took the first three shots of this score and O’Donovan took his first lead with a great fourth to the railings. At the pub cross in six each Galvin was back in front by forty meters. Three more each to the Pitch and Putt entrance where O’Donovan was back in front by one meter. It was a tit for tat battle to Murphy’s house with the next five and six shots where O’Donovan held a slender lead of only three meters. O’Donovan played a great last shot, Galvin had a big bowl to beat he made a great effort at it but it fell short by a mere three feet.

At Bweeng a junior a score was held between Timmy Murphy and Andrew O’Callaghan for €700 a-side. At the far side of the bridge in five each they were level. Both to the end of the wall in two more O'’Callaghan six meter fore bowl. A poor bowl from here for Murphy and O’Callaghan took advantage of this beating the tip by eighty meters. At the novice line O’Callaghan’s odds was forty five meters, but he extended this to a hundred meters with a super next bowl, at the “Y” Murphy had the odds down to twenty five meters but O’Callaghan went out full sight for the line and Murphy was now trailing by fifty meters. Murphy beat the line but it was not enough and O’Callaghan beat this easily.

O'NEILL IS THE INAUGURAL WINNER OF THE PETER FARRELL CUP

In the Mid Cork junior B final @ Castletown, Brendan O’Neill beat John Butler by five meters. Stake at issue here was €420 a-side. A sluggish start from Butler, at the end of the railings in five shots he found himself a bowl of odds down. But from Rory’s house Butler lined some big bowls that O’Neill was kept under pressure to beat. Heading for the novice line O’Neill had big odds with the bowl, however Butler made sight at Pynes corner and O’Neill missed sight and at O’Leary’s wall O’Neill’s odds was down to forty meters, Butler got an incredible bowl from Pynes corner from a bad stand he opened sight for the netting. O’Neill just beat this tip to hold his bowl of odds advantage. Butler another great bowl to the netting and O’Neill got caught left where he had no sight and beat Butlers tip by twenty meters for the last shots. Butlers fourteenth was very tight right long way back of the line, O’Neill’s bowl did not quite pass all of the finish line so Butler had another chance. He lined a huge bowl and looked like a winner when O’Neill’s bowl went in left but got a nice rub and just beat the mark. The Mid Cork region were the recipients of a beautiful memorial cup in memory of the late Peter Farrell, Martin Foley Mid Cork chairman thanked the Farrell family for donating this cup to the region for the Junior B championship and said that Peter was a top junior player in his day playing out of the South West region where there were 32 or more players, when he moved to Mid Cork he became an avid follower of the Wilmot family and had many wonderful outing with them. Trish Whyte daughter of Peter said they were honoured to put up this cup in memory of their father, bowling meant so much to him and she could not express her thanks enough for the wonderful send-off he got at his funeral from the bowling fraternity.

KELLEHER BOOKS HIS PLACE IN GAELTEACHT FINAL

A junior B Gaelteach semi-final between Cillian Kelleher and Liam Murphy was played at Macroom for a total stake of €4,700. Both out to the ivy rock in three Murphy with a thirty meter lead. Two massive bowls from Kelleher up past Mulcahy’s that Murphy followed and where the odds was only ten meters. Kelleher took his first lead of the score with a huge next to the gap. Kelleher had an opportunity to rise big odds with his eight shot but it was always right and his odds was only fifty meters. Two poor bowls from Murphy and at poundy’s lane Kelleher was a bowl up. Murphy was not giving up he got a huge bowl to Denny Paul’s gate and another out to the layby that knocked the bowl of odds. Kelleher made past the novice line but got a poor next and his odds was now wittled down to thirty meters. Murphy undid all his good work when he misplace his last and Kelleher beat the line and will now play the winner of Micháel Desmond or Darren Oliver in their regional final.

ANOTHER TOP CLASS FINISH FROM HEGARTY AT THE MARSH ROAD

David Hegarty Lyre beat 2023 junior b county winner Noel O’Regan in the Carbery-South West- West junior a championship at the Marsh road and booked his place in the semi-final draw. Playing off for a total stake of €9,200. Hegarty took the first shot, but it would take him a while to lead again, after three shots past the distillery O’Regan had forty meters of odds. Hegarty’s fourth hopped the kerb and O’Regan could have punished him here but his bowl fell left at Longs bus entrance. Hegarty’s next wasn’t great and O’Regan extended his odds to a hundred meters. Two huge bowls to the lollipops from Hegarty won him back the lead but he undid all his good work with a poor eight in right to just sight for the Silvery Gate that gave O’Regan the lead again by five meters. Three more each out the Steps where Hegarty had a minimal lead of five meters. Three more out sight past Thornhill Cross and O’Regan had a twelve meter advantage. Hegarty’s fifteenth shot covered the whole straight to sight at the Avenue Gate, O’Regan missed this by thirty meters and two more poor bowls were to follow from O’Regan back of Crowley’s Avenue. Hegarty had a thirty meter advantage here. O’Regan was very right again and Hegarty lined a perfect bowl up the left track that beat the line. In the North-Mid-Gaelteach side of the junior a Sean Murphy had a convincing win over Eoin O’Riordan at Bweeng.

COFFEY WINS AT BAILE BHURINE

Killarney man Jim Coffey got his junior c championship campaign off to a winner start when he beat Jimmy O’Brien by one bowl for a stake of €3,100 a-side at Baile Bhuirne. O’Brien got off to a flying start in this one when he was throwing his odds over sixty meters at the barking dogs, but at the island Coffey took the lead by forty meters and extended his odds with the shots past the council yard, at the novice line Coffey rose the bowl of odds and held this to the finish, he now plays Cathal Creedon in the next round.

Most regions at this stage have completed their championships for the first series of inter-county scores, senior men, junior b, junior veteran, novice veteran, boy’s and girl’s u-16, boy’s u-12 and intermediate ladies. These will make for a very busy schedule over the next six weeks with some top class scores to be played. With a place in the all-Irelands in Castletown on July 12th and 13th on offer.