County Glory for Hurley and O'Driscoll

• 

  Willie Murphy Chairm of Ból Chumann makes presentation to Junior C County Finalists at Castletown

• 

  Tommy O'Donoghue Novice A County Winner in Action at Templemcartin

• 

  Tommy O'Donoghue Novice A County Winner at Templemartin

• 

  Robert Coleman Novice D County Winner in Action at Templemicheal

• 

  Shane Dennehy Novice C County R-up in action at Clondrohid

• 

  Novice D Presentation at Templemichael Robert Coleman (NE) Winner and Dan O'Regan (Nth) R-up

• 

  Novice C presentation at Lyre Don O'Driscoll (West) Winner and John Hickey (Mid) R-up

• 

  John Hickey Novice C County Final R-up at Lyre

• 

  Novice B County Finalists at Clondrohid Eoin Hurley (West) Winner and Shane Dennehy (Nth) R-up

• 

  Novice B County SF at Castletown Shane Dennehy (Nth) bt Liam Kearney (Gael)

• 

  Novice A - The Mick Hegarty Memorial is presented to Tommy O'Donoghue with Alan Brickley r-up

• 

  Novice A County Finalists at Templemartin Tommy O'Donoghue (East) Winner and Alan Brickley (West)

• 

  Noel Phair Cup at Shannonvale James O'Donovan bt Gary Daly with ref Brian Sexton

• 

  Junior C County Finalists Chrisy Stokes (City) Winner and David Crowley (Nth) R-up at Castletown

• 

  Eoin Hurley in Novice B County Final Action at Clondrohid

• 

  John Hickey in Novice C County Final Action at Lyre

• 

  Eoin Hurley Novice B County Final Winner with Family at Clondrohid

• 

  David Crowley in Junior C County Final Action at Castletown

• 

  Don O'Driscoll Novice C County Winner at Lyre with relations

• 

  Don O'Driscoll in Novice C County Final Action at Lyre

• 

  Dan O'Regan in Novice D County Final Action at Templemichael

• 

  Alan Brickley in Novice A County Final Action at Templemartin

• 

  Catherine & Margaret O'Callaghan present the Connie & Brendan O'Callaghan Memorial Cup

• 

  Christy Stokes in Junior C County Final Action at Castletown

• 

  Christy Stokes Junior C County Winner with Supporters at Castletown

It’s been a busy week with County semi finals and finals being played in preparation for the fourth series of All-Irelands that will be held in Aghagower in Co. Mayo on September 05 & 06.

A hat trick of losses for North Cork and almost a hat trick of wins for West Cork but in the Novice a county final at Templemartin Alan Brickley faltered in the last quarter to complete what would have been a clean sweep for West Cork.

FROM BEGINNER TO CHAMPION

The first of the county fina

ls of the weekend was played at Templemichael on Friday evening between Dan O’Regan from North Cork playing Robert Coleman from the North East Region, they played for a stake of €1,820 a-side. O’Regan was on the back foot from the first shot, as he was too tight left and got off to a bad start. After two more to the farmyard Coleman had a bowl of odds. O’Regan knocked the bowl of odds with his fourth past the double gates, and it was still under the bowl by five meters after three more. A poor seventh from Coleman from the double gates gave O’Regan a slender chance but he was right of play and only beat the tip by twelve meters. Both to Sarsfield Cross with their next where O’Regan had it under the bowl by thirty meters, from here Coleman got a massive tenth shot that restored his bowl of odds advantage and after another it was heading for two bowls of odds. They both went out the netted corner in eleven and twelve where O’Regan was keeping it to a bowl of odds. Coleman finished well and won out in the end by a bowl of odds.

A CLASSEY PERFORMANCE FROM STOKES

On to Saturday at Castletown where Christy Stokes from the City region outclassed David Crowley from North Cork in the junior c county final, playing for a stake of €14,700 a-side, his winning margin was two bowls of odds and he led from start to finish. Three big opening shots from Stokes back of Rory’s house where he had almost a bowl of odds. Stokes went through Round Tower Cross in three more where he raised a bowl and forty meters, two more back of Pyne’s corner for Stokes and it was under the two bowls by thirty five meters. Stokes next shot was “called” and his second effort not as good but he was still up to O’Leary’s Wall. Crowley missed sight for the netting in two and Stokes got a huge bowl out full sight that raised a second bowl for him. Crowley done well to make the netting with his next but Stokes beat this and it took them both three more to make Forshin’s Cross where it was an even two bowls, one more shot of the Cross and Stokes took the Junior C title and will represent Munster in Mayo.

O'DRISCOLL TAKES HONOURS BACK TO DRIMOLEAGUE

Three finals were down for decision on Sunday, first up we had the Novice C County final between John Hickey from Templemartin playing Don O’Driscoll from Drimoleague at Lyre, playing for a stake of €8,700 a-side. A poor start from Hickey but her recovered with a well-played second shot that gave him his one and only lead of the score. Two huge bowls to the school from O’Driscoll where he raised a bowl of odds as Hickey’s 5th was left and caught the wall at Carroll’s entrance. After two more to the school sign O’Driscoll’s odds was a bowl and thirty meters. Hickey got a big bowl to O’Donovan’s pillars that knocked the bowl by twenty meters as O’Driscoll’s bowl was left of play. After two more up the Mason’s hill, Hickey had it still under the bowl of odds, O’Driscoll was very right with his tenth shot but it was fast and got a nice rub back of the steps to take him sight for the home straight, Hickey missed this to fall a bowl down again. Hickey got a good twelfth past the lollipops that knocked the bowl of odds again but road was running out. O’Driscoll made the start of the concrete with his next and Hickey just beat this again, O’Driscoll beat the line to win by a bowl of odds.

HURLEY DOMINATES FROM THE OFF IN CLONDROHID

From Lyre it was on to Clondrohid for the Novice B County final between Eoin Hurley from Kilronan, Dunmanway and Shane Dennehy from Grenagh but representing the North Cork region, they played for a stake of 8,000 a-side, this was a very one sided affair with Hurley leading from trap to line and hardly breaking a sweat. Dennehy’s first shot was right at the end of the Test Centre wall, Hurley’s looked like going the same way but got a massive rub and beat the tip by a hundred meters. After two more from Dennehy to the Bark Mulch he was almost a bowl of odds down. Hurley got an incredible third shot to the start of Tier Beg Cross that raised almost two bowls of odds for him. There was no let up from Hurley as he opened the Black House bend in two more where he had three bowls of odds. Dennehy got a good bowl to the Bell Inn but Hurley followed and beat it. Two more each up to Kelly’s bungalow where Dennehy had it under the three bowls by twenty five meters. Hurley opened the bend before Kelleher’s farm in two more that raised the three bowls again for him and declared him a winner. Catherine and Margaret O’Callaghan were on hand to present the Connie and Brendan O’Callaghan memorial Cup to the winner.

POOR FINISH COSTS BRICKLEY HONOURS

From Clondrohid to Templemartin for the last county final of the weekend, here Tommy O’Donoghue from Rathcormac in East Cork played Alan Brickley from Dunmanway in West Cork for a stake of €5,500 a-side in the Novice A County final. After three shots past Desmond’s cow passage Brickley was two meters fore bowl, a phenomenal fourth shot from O’Donoghue almost out Slyne’s bend won him back the lead by fifty meters. O’Donoghue extended his lead with a well casted next bowl. Brickley got a super bowl to the New House that O’Donoghue only beat by thirty five meters. Brickley’s eight was played to perfection and made past O’Riordan’s Cottage but O’Donoghue played his equally as good if not better and beat this tip by forty meters when he made Collin’s Wall. Brickley’s ninth fell right and O’Donoghue had a big opportunity to put daylight between them but his bowl was played too far left and only beat the tip by thirty five meters. You should make the cross in two from their stand but strangely enough they both missed the cross as they were both right, with Brickley just fore bowl. O’Donoghue went half way to the Beet field bend and Brickley got a huge bowl three quarter way down and cutting the bend nicely with his next throwing over thirty meters. Brickley’s next would have sealed the deal for him as it made Buttimer’ss Pillars but it was “called” and his second attempt was not as kind as it went left a good seventy meters short of the first tip. O’Donoghue got a huge fourteenth and Brickley’s form dipped from here as he missed this tip to give O’Donoghue back the lead by twelve meters. Brickley missed the line in two more and O’Donoghue beat it well.

On Tuesday two county semi-final scores were played, at Castletown Shane Dennehy from North Cork beat Liam Kearney from the Gaeltacht by the last shot, playing for a stake of €6,500 a-side. Dennehy was throwing his odds over thirty meters after two shots to Ballineen Cross, but did not put huge odds on the tip with his third shot as he was well right of play and led by only thirty meters. Kearney got a huge sixth back of the Hollies that gave him back the lead by twelve meters as Dennehy was very right with his bowl. Kearney extended his odds with his seventh and eight shots and looked like he would take a bowl of odds out to the Creamery cross but Dennehy got a phenomenal tenth shot well out the cross, Kearney went out also but was ten meters hind bowl. From here it was make your points in the road, up to Pegs Hole in two which both of them achieved, and out the last bend in two more which Dennehy achieved and it took Kearney three where he was almost a bowl of odds down. Two poor shots from Dennehy gave Kearney a small glimmer, but he pulled his last shot left and Dennehy had nothing to beat.

In a Novice a semi-final score at Newcestown Tommy O’Donoghue from East Cork beat Garreth Burke from the City region by almost two bowls for €650 a-side. At Inchageelagh Eoin Hurley had a two bowls of odds win over Timmie O’Sullivan in the Novice B county semi-final, no stake in this one.

O'DONOVAN GETS THE BETTER OF DALY IN NOEL PHAIR CUP

Shannonvale held a Noel Phair Cup score between Gary Daly and James O’Donovan, they played for €7,800 a-side. O’Donovan led this score from start to finish. Neither got off to a great start as both were very right but O’Donovan got the better rub off the dyke. O’Donovan got a super second past the rock to McSweeney’s and he went out the Quarry bend again in two more where he had a full bowl of odds. Three more each out to Desmond’s cross where O’Donovan held a bowl advantage. Daly got a super ninth shot up to the flat of the road that O’Donovan missed by forty meters, and only beat by fifty with his next this was Daly’s first opening but he was way right with his next and missed Kingston’s lane. O’Donovan made well past Kingston’s wall where he had almost a bowl of odds again. At the double gates O’Donovan still had a bowl of odds but Daly made Campbell’s lane in two huge bowls and O’Donovan was only peeping sight. O’Donovan’s shot from here was “called” and it wasn’t great as it hit the new bridge and fell across right, his second effort was extremely lucky to turn out of the left dyke and make the Grancore road fifty meters fore bowl. Daly’s next two shots out straight road for the finish were both right, but O’Donovan was still only holding odds of fifty meters. Daly got a huge sixteenth shot that O’Donovan beat by thirty meters, Daly’s last was doing a lot of hopping and got caught at the bend, and O’Donovan beat this by thirty meters to take the honours.

The Vintage championship also continues and at Ballinacarriga in a pool c vintage c semi-final John Tringle beat Timmie O’Brien by two bowls of odds.