Murphy, Connolly and Linehan among those advancing as Championships continue

Ger Connolly with Family and Supporters

Colm Crowley Junior B R-up with family and Supporters at Drinagh

Junior B County Finalists Colm Crowley R-up and Ger Connolly Winner with ref Christy O'Donovan

AIDAN MURPHY ADVANCES IN HEAVYWEIGHT DECIDER AGAINST ARTHUR MCDONAGH

With the first All-Ireland series finished, Ból Chumann are now concentrating on the 2nd series of counties, that include boys and girls U16, veteran, junior B, intermediate ladies and senior men.

The senior men's semi-final between Aidan Murphy and James O’Donovan took place at the Marsh Road for a stake of €21,100 a-side. Murphy raised huge odds with his second shot, O'Donovan got a great third and Murphy pulled his right and dropped a lot of odds. Two more each to the last council yard gate with Murphy thirty five meters fore bowl. O’Donovan was opting for the middle of the road with his sixth but his decision was swayed to the left track, he played his bowl on a ridge and it broke badly right and missed sight for the silvery gate. Murphy also went down the left track but worked his right hand pull and went out full sight. Murphy went out the steps in three more where it was just under the bowl of odds. O’Donovan was given an opportunity when Murphy got a poor bowl from the steps but he only beat the tip by ten meters. Two more each past Thornhill Cross and out sight for Ballyhilty where it was still under the bowl of odds. Murphy’s thirteenth shot was very left with no great right hand pull and O’Donovan was given another opportunity and this one he took with a perfect bowl up the middle thirty meters past the avenue, Murphy replied with a rasher tight right shot that beat this tip by sixty meters an unreal bowl. After two more past the junior finish only eight meters separated them and after their next around the bridge the odds were down to three meters. O’Donovan got a big rub with his eighteenth that Murphy missed by twelve meters to give him his first lead. Murphy got an average nineteenth and O’Donovan had the opportunity to raise odds for the last shots but he missed the tip by ten meters. O'Donovan's last was left, Murphy’s was right but got a rub and beat O’Donovan’s mark by ten meters to book his place in the Senior Final against Arthur McDonagh on Sunday next at Baile Bhurine.

SHANNONVALE BOWLER BOOKS HIS SPORT IN THE NEXT ALL-IRELAND SERIES

Ger Connolly from Shannonvale is junior B county champion after his bowl of odds win over Colm Crowley from Bauravilla, playing for a stake of €6,500 a-side. Drinagh was the host club of this final and they did an excellent job, road well-manicured, plenty of parking and lots of officials. After three each to the novice start line Crowley was fore bowl by twelve meters. An incredible fourth from Connolly past the Waterfall. Crowley played well but it picked badly left and missed the tip by a hundred meters. Connolly made back of the Blacksticks in two more and Crowley got a big rub off the right dyke that took him dirty sight for Shandrum cross. Connolly made sight at Shandrum Cross in two more where he was throwing his odds over thirty meters. Eight and nine to this juncture. Connolly’s shot off the cross was very right and got a small tail, this opened the door for Crowley to make sight at the rectory gate but he was crazy right and no rub. Connolly missed full sight at the rectory with his tenth and Crowley's bowl was perfect and very unlucky to get caught in a pillar. Connolly lined a gem of an eleventh past the church full sight that Crowley just beat to keep it under the bowl. Connolly gave Crowley another chance to get back into this score when his twelfth bowl veered off left to the end of the railings. But Crowley’s bowl went right and beat the tip by nothing. Connolly finished with two perfect shots past the barking dogs and on for Hurley’s avenue where he raised the bowl and booked his place in the All-Ireland final on the August Bank Holiday weekend.

LINEHAN ADVANCES TO NOVICE VETERAL FINAL

In Macroom at a nov-vet county semi-final Liam Linehan, Berrings had a last shot win over Michael Carroll, Kilmichael playing for a stake of €1,450 a-side. Both out to Bantry’s old cross in three shots each where Linehan was eight meters ahead. Carroll took back the lead in two more back of the flyover. Two more each to Mulcahy’s where Carroll held odds of thirty meters. Linehan’s eight was played very well but fell left and gave Carroll an opportunity to raise big odds. This opportunity he did not take and after two well played bowls from Linehan into the lag he was back in front by twenty meters. Two more each to “Poundy’s Lane” Linehan had forty meters of odds and put daylight between them at Denny Pauls. Carroll missed this tip to fall a bowl in arrears with road running out. Linehan made sight for the line and Carroll had a go, but only made the layby, Linehan in the final where he will play Jimmy Collins at Inch.

NEWCESTOWN YOUTH IN COUNTY UNDER 16 FINAL

Jack Allen booked his place in the U16 county final when he beat Dean O’Leary at Templemichael. Anna Power made the long journey from Fenor in Waterford to play Bella Barry Twohig in the U16 preliminary round at Carrignavar and had a two bowls of odds victory. Anna played again on Saturday against U18 All-Ireland champion Meabh Cuinnea at Terelton which Meabh won. The Sexton sisters Ellen and Laura contested the ladies intermediate semi-final at Shannonvale with Ellen coming out victorious by the last shot. Ailbhie O'Shea won the second intermediate semi-final at Drinagh when she beat Emma Fitzpatrick convincingly. Abbie McDonnell North East beat Lilly Scannell Gaeltacht in the girls U16 quarter final at Bweeng. At Grange Anna Deane Mid beat Nicola Hurley West in the Girl’s U16 QF and Cait Young West beat Elsie O’Flynn Mid in the girls U-12 QF. Jimmy Collins from Union Hall progressed to the final of the novice veteran when he beat Michael Carroll Kilmichael at Newcestown he now plays Liam Linehan from North Cork at Inch. Alisha Relihan, East Cork beat Kayleigh O’Driscoll, City in the girl’s U14 preliminary round at Carrignavar and also at Carrignavar Abbie Walsh, City beat Aine O’Farrell, East in the girls U12 preliminary round. Anthony Lynch won the Gaelteacht Junior C from Jimmy O’Brien at Clondrohid playing for €1,000 a-side.

A BIG 2ND HALF FROM O'RIORDAN IN BALLINACURRA

The Junior Veteran final between Eoin O’Riordan Gaeltacht, Trevor O’Meara City and John Cahalane Carbery was played out in Ballinacurra, playing for a stake of €2,300 a-side. Cahalane never got going in this final, so much so that at Foley’s it turned into a two horse race between O’Riordan and O’Meara. O’Meara took the first shot and O'Riordan and Cahalane both hopped the kerb left with their second shots. O’Meara made Brinny Cross in three, Cahalane was in the middle of the cross in four and O’Riordan at the upper side also in four shots where both were keeping it under the bowl of odds. O’Meara’s & Cahalane’s bowls broke badly right off the surface and O'Riordan lined a smashing bowl that made well past Foley’s entrance. O’Meara followed this to keep the score level and Cahalane missed the tip to fall a bowl down. A poor seventh from Cahalane that turned in right at the waterworks, O'Riordan lined a huge bowl to the muddy gap that gave him his first lead of the score over O’Meara by seventy meters, and Cahalane fell a further bowl down when he missed this tip. O'Riordan dropped a lot of odds with his next when he was too far left and now only twenty meters separated himself and O’Meara with Cahalane two bowls down. O’Meara a poor eight to the end of the sheds and O’Riordan lined another beauty back of the GAA entrance. O’Meara made sight for the bridge and O’Riordan made the bridge with a fifty meter advantage. O’Meara’s tenth just beat this tip to go almost a bowl down. Cahalane got a good twelfth to the double gates that knocked some odds, O'Riordan’s tenth fell right and O’Meara made the black pole with his eleventh. O'Riordan opened the last bend for the finish line, O’Meara was too tight right and got caught just fore bowl. O'Riordan went on top of the line and had too much odds for the last shot.

Mark O’Flynn won the North Cork Novice C final from Michael Horgan at Firmount, playing for a stake of €1,720 a-side. After three shots each Horgan had ten meters of odds. After two more huge bowls from O’Flynn he raised a bowl of odds. Horgan had it under the bowl with five shots to go. O’Flynn missed the bridge in two and Horgan laid down a huge shot to win back the lead by twenty five meters. O’Flynn finished the better though and won by a big last shot.

Stephen O’Connell and Shane Nugent both Shannonvale Club members played out their Novice A final for a stake of €1,450 a-side at Shannonvale. Nugent got off to the better start in this score, having played three good bowls past McSweeney's bungalow where he had fifty meters of odds. O’Connell got three well played bowls well around the quarry bend that knocked the odds back to twenty five meters. Both went out Desmonds in three more, nine each with O’Connell yet to lead. Poor bowls off the cross but Nugent got an excellent shot up onto the flat of the road. O'Connell missed Kingston's lane and Nugent had an opportunity to put big odds on this tip but his bowl went left and his odds were only forty meters. O’Connell lined a perfect bowl past Kingston's Wall and it was unlucky to fall back right. Nugent missed this to give O’Connell his first lead of the score. Nugent got a remarkable fifteenth that made Hayes Cottage, O’Connell made back of Campbell's lane in two to keep himself in the score. Nugent beat this tip by one meter his bowl hopped up on the right. Both missed the line as both were weak and fell right. O’Connell lined an average last, and Nugent's bowl was too far right and missed the tip by seven meters.

CONNOLLY TAKES SOUTH WEST NOVICE D TITLE

The South West Novice D final was played at Ballygurteen between local man Eoin Connolly and Ritchie Lawton from Timoleague, playing for a stake of €2,460 a-side. Lawton made a blistering start going half way to Dullea’s new house in three huge bowls where he had almost two bowls of odds, Lawton made just back of the women’s lane in three more but Connolly was keeping it under the two bowls. At O’Mahony’s avenue in three more it was a bare bowl of odds. Connolly from here gnawed away at Lawton's lead and got a huge rub to the coffee dock that brought Lawton's lead back to thirty five meters. Connolly got a huge bowl up O’Donovan’s hill that won him his first lead. Lawton came bare sight and Connolly was very left and only beat the tip by ten meters. A poor bowl up left from Lawton and Connolly put huge odds on this, Lawton missed the tip to fall a bowl down and Connolly was crowned the winner.

Conor O’Donovan from Belgooly won the Mid Cork novice B final from Kevin Coughlan Gloun at Dunderrow, playing for a stake of €3,240 a-side. Coughlan was on the back foot from the off as he missed down sight with his first shot and O’Donovan down fully. O’Donovan held this bowl advantage for the next two shots but a blunder with his fourth left Coughlan a big chance to half level the score but he only beat the tip by forty meters. Coughlan was keeping it under the bowl up past the factory entrances following big bowls of O’Donovan’s. O’Donovan got a good run out of his eight shot and Coughlan missed this tip to fall a bowl down. O’Donovan raised further odds with the bowl at Nyhans lane and facing down the hill. At the bridge it was an even bowl for O’Donovan. No lead for Coughlan in this score as O’Donovan was on top of the line in two more to win by a bowl.