Bowling Report - Week ending 27th April

BANDON BOWLER GETS THE BETTER OF KILLIAN KINGSTON IN SENIOR MENS CHAMPIONSHIP OPENER

The 2025 senior championship season kicked off in Templemartin on Sunday last where James O’Donovan played Killian Kingston. With stake in this one in front of a small audience of approximately thirty people. O’Donovan took the first shot, Kingston the second and the latter followed up with a huge third three quarter way out to Slyne’s bend, Kingstons fourth ran a bit right but out full sight throwing his odds over thirty meters. From here O’Donovan got two seriously huge bowls to O’Riordan’s and suddenly it was a bowl in O’Donovan’s favour, and after another he was three quarter way to the school cross where he had two bowls of odds. O’Donovan should have put this score away with his next but he missed the cross, though he bounced back with his shot half way to the stone field bend. Kingston got a super fourteenth down full sight at the Stone field bend but O’Donovan followed it to keep his lead to two bowls. From here to the Cross Kingston got nothing out of his shots and O’Donovan won out in the end by three bowls. The winning he start he wanted.

CROWLEY WILL BE CARBERY REPRESENTATIVE IN JUNIOR B CHAMPIONSHIP

A midweek junior B championship final was held at Bauravilla, Shane Crowley fresh from his recent victory in Armagh played Shane Shannon. There was no stake in this one as Crowley being the hot favourite justified so with a two bowls of odds win. Both players reached the netting in five throws where Crowley held a thirty meter lead. Nothing separated them in two more to Decker’s. Between here and Deasy’s lane Crowley upped his game and led by a bowl. He rose further odds at the Bridge. At the Grotto he had two bowls and held this to the finish. Crowley now awaits the winner from the West Cork region with Kieran Hourihane or Brian O’Driscoll to be played at Ballygurteen.

YOUNG TAKE 1ST SCORE IN NEW LIAM DALY CUP TOURNAMENT

At Shannonvale in the first score of a new Cup in memory of the late clubman Liam Daly, Tim Young beat Michael Murphy for a total stake of €3,200. Young got the worst possible start in this score, down a bowl after two shots. At the Quarry bend Young had it well under the bowl. Young carried a lot of luck in this score, his bowl around the quarry bend looked very right but broke back left nicely for him. Despite a poor bowl from Murphy to Buttimer’s pillars, Young did not take advantage of this blew his bowl up right. Murphy missed Desmond’s cross and again Young rode his luck with a huge rub off the left dyke and crept out to Desmond’s to take his first lead. Two huge bowls from Young to Kingston Wall rose the bowl of odds, and he held this down to Campbell’s lane, but Murphy wasn’t done just yet he lined a super fourteenth. Again Young was very lucky to rub off the left dyke at the novice line but the bowl was down by twenty five meters. Young put big odds on Murphy’s tip with two shots left, but again Murphy put down a serious bowl, any blunder from Young and victory was Murphy’s but Young made no mistake and held huge odds for the last shots and won by 50 meters.

SEXTON PROGRESSES AT THE EXPENSE OF WILMOT

Baile Bhuirne held the new format junior A championship score between Edmund Sexton and Denis Wilmot playing for a stake of €1,200 a-side. The lead changed hands many times. Wilmot held the early advantage in this score, but a big fourth shot from Sexton won him his first lead by 15 meters. On up the rising road and a bad blunder from Sexton gave Wilmot back the lead at the top of the hill. Heading on for the Council yard Sexton was back in front again and throwing his odds over a 100 meters. Wilmot got a good bowl along the straight after the council yard that Sexton missed by ten meters a bad blunder. Wilmot throwing over 70 meters only beat the tip by 10 meters. Two poor bowls together from Wilmot gave Sexton a huge chance to finish off this score but he only beat the tip by twenty meters. Still at the novice line he had his lead extended to a hundred meters of odds, and there were no more blunders as Sexton won out in the end.

MURPHY ADVANCES IN JUNIOR A CHAMPIONSHIP

Beal Na Marbh held another junior A championship score this time between Kieran Murphy and Conor Creedon for €2,500 a-side with Creedon taking the favourites tag. A sluggish start from both players Murphy taking the first four shots to the Cottage. Creedon settled with a massive fifth that gave him his first lead, but at the Rock after two more Murphy was back in front again by two meters. A super eight shot from Creedon to Hubbard’s house won him back the lead but it was only for a brief spell as Murphy was back in front again after nine, four more each out sight for the novice line still Murphy in front, after two more nothing separated them, Murphy was incredibly lucky with his sixteenth shot could have been hind bowl but instead it rose big odds for the last shots, a poor effort from Creedon for the line and Murphy had nothing to beat.

MICHAEL JOHN O'BRIEN TAKES ANOTHER STEP TO JUNIOR A HONOURS

Whitechurch hosted another junior A championship score between city’s Michael John O’Brien and Cian Boyle playing for a total stake of €3,600. Three huge opening shots from O’Brien out sight facing down the hill for Boula lane where he had a bowls of odds. Boyle knocked the bowl with the shots past Quirke’s Wall and it was a full bowl on O’Brien’s favour past Boula Lane in 6 and 7 shots. On up the rising road past the Guards house and on for Downey’s O’Brien rose odds with the bowl. Try as he might and playing some great bowls Boyle just could not reel O’Brien in, an incredible tenth out sight past the farm for O’Brien extended his odds. After the Devils bend with two shots to go Boyle had it under the bowl, but it was not enough as O’Brien finished well to win out in the end by a bowl.

KELLEHER THE FANCIED ONE TO WIN THE GAELTEACHT JUNIOR B

In Clondrohid Cillian Kelleher keeps his hopes alive in winning the Gaelteach junior B Championship as he lead from trap to line to beat Frankie Kiely by two bowls, no stake in this one. Kelleher started in a blaze and had almost a bowl after two shots to the small gate. He rose the bowl with a huge shot back of Tier Beg Cross, but Kiely had it under the bowl at the black house, Kelleher restored the bowl with a huge shot to the graveyard wall and up past the Bell Inn on to the Grotto. Same odds over Kelly’s hump and on for Geoff’s lane where Kelleher got a huge bowl to go sight and Kiely missed this two bowls were up. Kiely only to the start of the farmyard and Kelleher consolidated his win with a massive bowl out sight for the line. In a return U-18 score here Tadhg Cooney beat Aodh Lynch by one bowl.

BUCKLEY ADVANCES TO MARSH ROAD TOURNAMENET FINAL

Paul Buckley secured his place in the Marsh Road tournament final with a win over David Shannon playing for a total stake of €7,100. After four each to Long’s bus entrance Buckley was just in front. After three more out to the Silvery gate Shannon was in front by fifty meters. Four more mediocre shots each out to the steps and Buckley was back in front again by twenty meters. On past Thornhill cross and back of Ballyhilty Buckley rose a bowl and big odds. He held this to the finish and now plays the winner of Wayne Parkes or Brian Wilmot in the final.

O'DONOVAN TAKES THE FIRST OF THE BEST OF THREE AT THE PIKE

A South West junior B championship score was played at The Pike Alex O’Donovan playing Ger Connolly, no stake in this one as they come from the same club. Six shots each out to Whites Cross, not great for this grade but the road is very rough and raw in patches level bowling here. Three more out to drapers still level, three more up past the Novice line nothing between them here. After three more facing the finish line Connolly had nice odds, they would say winning law but his last was too far left and missed O’Donovan’s tip.

FLAWLESS DISPLAY BT BOURKE

Mark Bourke reversed the result of the previous week in Timoleague when he beat Johnny O’Driscoll in a Champy Deasy Cup score at Grange playing for a total stake of €2,000. He led from start to finish and played what was described as a flawless score. He was out the stud farm bend in three bowls where he rose a full bowl of odds. Up to Hollands Wall and down to De Barra’s in two more holding his bowl advantage. He threw the perfect parley cue with his seventh shot down past the green to Hegarty’s Wall. Up past Noelie’s Bungalow in four more still holding his bowl of odds. Two more great bowls to Fiona’s house, but from here O’Driscoll made the Pub and knocked the bowl but Bourke had too much odds for the last shot and beat the line with the aid of a rub.

TEDS TOURNAMENTS NEARING COMPLETION

Ted Hegarty completed seven of his ten under-age tournament at the Phale Road. Gerald McDonagh younger brother of Arthur beat Ross O’Brien in the U-16. Timmy McDonagh son of Arthur beat Mattie McDonagh and Frankie Flynn in the U-8. Layla Fleming beat Grace O’Sullivan and Robyn O’Brien in the U-12, Aoife McCarthy beat Cait Young daughter of Tim in the U-10. Fionán Twohig son of Gavin beat Brian Murphy and Kevin Hickey in the U-12 and Tommy Coppinger son of Martin beat Bobby O’Sullivan and Conor O’Sullivan in the U-10, Tadhg Hickey bt Jack Allen bt Tadhg O'Farrell U-14. 3 more finals to go will complete seventeen years of Ted running off these tournaments, a huge undertaking for all the under-age of the County.