Bowling Report - Week ending 29th June

MURPHY'S RULED SUPREME AT TEMPLEMARTIN

Father & daughter Paudie and Orla Murphy were successful in their respective county semi-final scores played at Templemartin. Paudie had a victory over Tony Hickey from North Cork in the novice veteran and Orla over Chloe Hubbard also from North Cork in the U-16. Hickey had the lead by three meters after three shots to the cow passage, Murphy went out Slynes Corner in two more where he raised a bowl of odds. Five more average bowls to O’Riordan’s Cottage and still Murphy held a bowl advantage. Hickey got a good twelfth that knocked the bowl briefly but Murphy restored it again and added another bowl with three great bowls through the school cross. Hickey was well back of the line with his last and Murphy beat the line and now plays Paul O’Brien, East Cork in the Final.

In the girl’s U-16 score Paudie’s daughter Orla took control of the score with an incredible second shot that turned nicely around the school cross corner raised huge odds for her and gave her a nice cushion. Chloe kept it to the bowl at Cronin’s and on past O’Riordan’s, where Orla got a lucky bowl could have caught Riordan’s Wall. From here Orla produced another huge bowl that Chloe only beat by five meters in two shots to fall almost three bowls down. Chloe put in a strong finish, she had it down to a bowl around Slynes corner and knocked the bowl with her next but unfortunately her next went left and Orla had nothing to beat and now plays Shauna O’Driscoll in the Final at Castletown on Tuesday July 1st.

O'BRIEN HOLDS OUT TO TAKE JUNIOR TITLE

The Gaelteach junior ladies final was a cracker played at Clondrohid between Rachel Desmond and Darcy O’Brien. Desmond was in control for the first six and seven shots through Tier Beg cross and on for O’Leary’s pillars. O’Brien lined a huge bowl to the Black House that Desmond beat by twenty meters. Three more past the Bell Inn and onto the rough before Kelly’s Bungalow, O’Brien took her first lead. Two great bowls from here to Goffs lane from Desmond but O’Brien followed and beat them. Both out sight for Kelleher’s farm O’Brien just fore bowl, Desmond down sight past the farm kept O’Brien under pressure but she followed and beat the tip by eight meters. Both missed the line from here but O’Brien had a fifteen meter advantage, Desmond’s last not great and O’Brien beat it easy.

COUNTY FINALS

County finals came hot and heavy over the past weekend beginning on Friday evening with the Boy’s under-16 @ Castletown, they say you have to lose one to win one, well that’s what happened when Culann Bourke beat Tommy O’Donoghue, having been a runner-up in the same grade last year. No lead for O’Donoghue in this score. Both were at the end of the railings in four where Bourke’s had forty meters of odds. Bourke got a big opportunity to raise big odds with his fifth but misplaced it left in Rory’s entrance. Two more each to Round Tower Cross and still the odds was only forty meters. O’Donoghue was at the Novice line in nine and Bourke whipped his ninth out perfectly and raised a bowl of odds before Pynes Corner. Bourke upped his game from here and went full sight at the netting in three more huge bowls where he won by a bowl of odds.

ITS DEFINITELY IN THE GENES AS TOMMY SHOWS HIS TALENT IN COUNTY FINAL

Back down Castletown we had the boy’s U-12 final, in opposition here we had Tommy Coppinger from Bantry playing Eoghan Kelly from Macroom. Kelly a runner-up in this grade in 2024 to Fionán Twohig. Kelly took the first two shots of this score past the junior line. Both lined incredible third shots out full sight past the netting to the black gates that gave Coppinger his first lead by three meters. Coppinger would not be led anymore from here, two more huge bowls just short of sight at Pynes Corner where he had a full bowl of odds. Two more fantastic bowls from both past the novice line where Kelly had it under the bowl by five meters. There was a glimmer of hope when Kelly lined a perfect ninth to Round Tower cross that Coppinger only beat by twenty meters. But when Coppinger lined a sublime tenth that didn’t stop until it got to Rory’s entrance he raised the bowl of odds here again. A left hand drag played havoc with some of Kelly’s bowls and Coppinger won out in the end by almost two bowls. They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Coppinger, son of Martin who only recently turned ten years of age. Both players have wonderful ability and beautiful styles and have a long future in bowling ahead of them.

O'DRISCOLL EMULATED HIS LATE DAD WITH JUNIOR B COUNTY FINAL WIN

On to Saturday for the junior b county final between Alex O’Donovan from Shannonvale and Brian O’Driscoll from Drimoleague, big odds given in this score so there was no stake. Three bowls each to Rory’s entrance gave O’Donovan his one and only lead in this score. O’Driscoll lined an incredible fourth just back of Round Tower cross, O’Driscoll lined another big bowl past the novice line that raised the bowl of odds for him as O’Donovan had two bowls of the shortest order here. O’Donovan missed sight at Pynes corner and O’Driscoll got the most beautiful shot around the corner and up to O’Leary’s wall extending his lead now with every shot. Two more very well played bowls out the netting for O’Driscoll and here he had a full two bowls that he carried out to Forshin’s Cross. O’Donovan lined a perfect fourteenth off the line that knocked the bowl by fifty meters but with the finish line drawing close O’Donovan ran out of road and O’Driscoll won out in the end by almost two bowls. In the role of honour of junior B county winners Brian now joins his late father Teddy who won the same championship in 2003 and in his thank you speech he dedicated his win to his late dad.

O'BRIEN CAPTURES NOVICE VETERAN TITLE AT NEWCESTOWN

Newcestown was the next venue for the novice veteran final played here between Paul O’Brien, Leamlara and Paúdíe Murphy Ballyvourney, playing for a stake of €4,800 a-side. This was a trap to line win for O’Brien, both missed full sight at the first bend, after three shots O’Brien had a valuable twenty five meters of odds at the lollipops. O’Brien extended his odds to almost a bowl at O’Brien’s cross. Two wayward shots from O’Brien and Murphy had the odds down to thirty meters, but O’Brien lined three perfect bowls to Canty’s Lane that raised a bowl and big odds again. Murphy trying to find speed up the incline dropped a few of his bowls that cost him the odds, O’Brien finished with another huge bowl to win by two bowls of odds. He now plays P.J. Cooney in the overall final on Friday in Castletown.

MCDONAGH TAKES HIS SECOND COUNTY TITLE

Back to Castletown on Sunday for the premier final of the year, the men’s senior final between the two Fermoy men Arthur McDonagh and Gary Daly. McDonagh in his fourth Munster final, Gary Daly in his second, playing for a total stake of €40,000. Daly very unlucky with his first caught a mini pillar right and only beat McDonagh tip by fifteen meters. McDonagh took the lead with a good third bowl to Rory’s entrance. Daly was very lucky with his fourth very tight left but rubbed kindly and won back the lead for him and he extended his lead to fifty meters up past round tower cross. McDonagh playing on rough tough terrain delivered with class an absolute miler up past the new house, Daly got the shortest possible sixth shot in right and only beat McDonagh tip again by sixty meters. McDonagh got another serious bowl up and around Pynes corner, Daly buried his into the bend and now he was a bowl of odds down, but there was another twist to come. Daly unleashed a whipping ninth to dirty sight for the netting and McDonagh’s bowl veered off right no sight at all. McDonagh missed the netting well and Daly got an unreal bowl full sight at the netting, that McDonagh beat by forty meters. After two more under the trees before Forshins Cross Daly won back the lead by 4 meters as McDonagh was crazy left with his twelfth shot. Dead level at Forshins cross in thirteen shots each. McDonagh off first got an unread bowl that wound left with the road, putting immense pressure back on Daly. Daly’s bowl was too low and too right and missed McDonagh tip by a big margin, he needed a miracle bowl but unfortunately for him in this final it did not come and McDonagh won his second county title by almost a bowl of odds.