Murphy shows that class is permanent with vintage win
Vintage C Finalists at Lyre with Ból Chumanns Caroline Smith & James O'Driscoll
Innishannon bowler Mick Murphy, battled hard to win the vintage C final from Michael O’Leary of Fermoy and Skibbereen's Dee Dee Carroll at Lyre, with a stake of €1,000 between O’Leary and Carroll. There was an early bowl of odds on Carroll when he missed the first bend in three shots, Murphy took his first lead from O’Leary after three shots out sight at the Mason’s bend. At the layby in five each for Murphy and O’Leary and Carroll was now a big bowl of odds down. Carroll got a good seventh shot back of O’Donovan’s pillars and Murphy was too tight right and poor sight, O’Leary made back of O’Donovan’s pillar also holding his bowl advantage on Carroll and forty five meters on Murphy. All three got caught left in the drain back of the double gates. After nine shots for Murphy and O’Leary to the School and ten shots for Carroll, O’Leary was back in front of Murphy again by twenty meters and a bowl on Carroll. Two more shots to the end of the creamery, Murphy just fore bowl of O’Leary. O’Leary’s twelfth shot was right and there was an opening for Carroll but he was also right and missed going over the hump. Murphy now had a chance of sealing this score but he played his bowl right also. With the line approaching it was now a score between O’Leary and Murphy. All three missed the finished line in two more and Murphy got a valuable ten meter rub with his last shot and O’Leary missed this by fifteen meters, Carroll saved the bowl of odds. Mick Murphy thanked Ból Chumann for running off this championship and the Lyre Club for hosting, he said at 83 he could not see himself winner any more silver ware so this was a good day for him and probably his last. He will contest the overall final against Noel Gould and David Walsh on November 14th at Beal Na Marbh, he previously won this championship in 2015 and 2016 when he was the vintage a winner.
O'DONOVAN TAKES HOLLAND CUP
As Mid Cork and the Ballinacurra Club finished up the Dan Joe Holland memorial cup tournament, Noel O’Donovan and Sean Murphy met in the final. Murphy got off to a bad start in this score finding himself almost a bowl down after two shots, but her rallied to Brinny Cross where he had the odds back to fifteen meters. Murphy got a big fifth shot to Foley’s but O’Donovan made the waterworks. Another great bowl to the Muddy Gap from Murphy but no let up from O’Donovan as he made Perrot’s Pillars seventy meters fore bowl, Murphy misplaced his next and fell a bowl of odds down. Murphy knocked the bowl of odds at the Hurling Alley, but it was only brief as O’Donovan got a huge bowl out full sight at the bridge that restored his bowl of odds advantage. Both got huge bowls past the Silvery Gates, and at the junior C line in eleven and twelve O’Donovan held his bowl advantage. At the avenue Murphy had it under the bowl of odds again, and he followed up with a huge bowl out sight for the finish line that O’Donovan only beat by twenty meters for the last shots. Murphy made a great effort for the line but it just fell short and O’Donovan beat the line to accept the Dan Joe Holland Memorial Cup from Dan Joe’s wife Bridie.
CILLIAN KELLEHER ADVANCES TO JUNIOR A TOURNAMENT FINAL
Macroom held the semi-final of the Gaeltacht junior a tournament where Cillian Kelleher beat Liam Murphy and Conor Creedon by the last shot, playing for a stake of 3 x €1,350 a-side. Kelleher took the first two shots of this score out sight for the bridge, Murphy tight left with his third shot took his first lead from Kelleher by five meters, with Creedon a further ten meters hind bowl. After four shots Creedon slipped into second position ahead of Kelleher with Murphy five meters fore bowl. At Mulcahy’s entrance in two more each Kelleher was back in front again just ahead of both his opponents. Creedon yet to lead in this score. After two more back of the knob Murphy overtook Kelleher again by one meter with Creedon losing ground and trailing by twenty five meters. Kelleher was back in front again after two more past Poundy’s Lane but only twenty meters separated all three. Creedon got a super twelfth shot to the end of Denny Paul’s railings, Murphy missed this tip as his bowl fell right, and Kelleher beat the tip by twenty meters. It took Murphy and Creedon two more to make Mickey Tom’s cross, and Kelleher made a huge effort with his thirteenth but it just fell short of full sight. Off the cross Kelleher had nice odds on both his opponents. With the line approaching, Creedon’s shot off the cross went left, Murphy got a super bowl to the start of the plantation and Kelleher beat this tip by ten meters only. Creedon just beat the line, Murphy was crazy right hit a pole and across left to just beat Creedon’s tip and no need for Kelleher to throw. He now awaits the winner of the other semi-final between Micháel Desmond and Cathal Creedon.
OVER €1,000 RAISED FOR BABY JADE
Carrignavar held a fund-raiser for baby Jade with scores that resulted as follows, Noel Bowen beat Mickey Hurley by one bowl for €700 a-side. Michael Gould beat Darragh O’Donovan by two bowls for €1,650 a-side. Ross Lynch beat Tom Connolly by the last shot for €950 a-side. Michael Quilligan beat Craig Moynahan for €1,000 a-side. Craig Moynahan beat Michael Quilligan for €1,600 a-side. Denis/Tom Connolly beat Declan O’Leary/Ross O’Brien by two bowls for €2,000 a-side and Seanie O’Leary beat Declan O’Leary by the last shot for €2,500 a-side
