Vintage fare around county Cork
David Walsh bt Chrisy Butler in the Pool B Vintage B Final at Jagoes with ref Kevin O'Donovan
You could say that Road Bowling is winding down at this time of the year, with all the main championships completed, the King & Queen of the Road done and dusted, but attention now turns to the remaining championship, the vintage, divided into three pools, Pool A City, East & North East, Pool B Mid, North & Gaeltacht and Pool C Carbery, South West and West.
Three finals were completed this past weekend, at Jagoe’s Mills David Walsh beat Christy Butler in the pool B vintage B final, no stake in this one, both made through the cross in three each, Butler dropped his fourth but it ran kindly for him half way to the dump and gave him his one and only lead in the score. After two more each to the footpath Walsh had thirty meters of odds. Butler had the odds back to twenty meters at the railway entrance, he got a huge ninth shot. Walsh was not letting up and with the road getting rougher he managed to extend his lead to almost a bowl at the Power Station. This odds he held in two more over the finish line. Walsh now plays Pat Callanan and Patsy O’Sullivan in the Vintage B Final.
Pat Callanan beat Michael Gould by the last shot in the pool A vintage B final at Templemartin, Callanan picked up an injury half way into the score but battled on to win by the last shot, also at Templemichael in a pool A vintage C final Michael O’Leary beat John Donnellan.
At Ballinacurra in a pool B vintage C semi-final score Tom O’Donovan beat Martin Desmond by one bowl for no stake.
At Clondrohid in the other pool B vintage C semi-final Mick Murphy put in a top class vintage performance to beat Denis Murphy by two bowls of odds, no stake in this one.
A Dan Joe Holland, Mid Cork tournament score was played at Ballinacurra between Brendan O’Neill and Tom O’Donovan, O’Donovan who hasn’t done much bowling over the past couple of years was victorious in this score leading from start to finish, they played for a stake of €950 a-side. Both were back of Brinny cross in three each with O’Donovan having thirty meters of odds. O’Donovan made the waterworks in two big bowls where he raised a bowl of odds on O’Neill. Two more huge bowls to the end of Perrot’s sheds raised almost a second bowl of odds for O’Donovan. No let up from O’Donovan as he made Innishannon cross in three more, O’Neill done well to go through the cross keeping it under the two bowls of odds. O’Donovan made out straight road with his twelfth shot and back of the junior c line with his thirteenth where he raised the second bowl of odds and O’Neill conceded.
Rosscarbery held a full day’s bowling on Sunday, progressing in three tournaments, up first a Tim White Cup score between Sean Paul McDonagh and Cillian Kelleher, playing for a stake of €1,800 a-side. Four shots each to the Priests house McDonagh led by forty meters. Kelleher reduced the odds to five meters after two more past the lollipops. Kelleher took the lead with a great bowl up sight for Barry’s Boreen, but McDonagh was back in front again with a super bowl past Barry’s Boreen, Kelleher brought his bowl too far. Both missed the B & B with their next Kelleher’s bowl went left and McDonagh’s right one meter hind bowl. Out to Cahermore cross McDonagh had the first line and Kelleher the second line a fifteen meter advantage. McDonagh missed Froe cross off the line and Kelleher got a well-played bowl out full sight, McDonagh only beat this tip by ten meters. Kelleher up past the big pillars in two more where he had almost a full bowl of odds. Kelleher went over the finish in two more to win by a bowl of odds.
On the return route Thomas Maloney beat Michael O’Leary by two bowls of odds for a stake of €2,300 a-side in the Pat O’Halloran Cup sf. Back out the road again Mark Bourke beat Denis Wilmott by the last shot for a stake of €1,800 a-side in the Michelle Hayes Cup tournament. After three shots each to the new estate entrance Bourke had thirty meters of odds, he extended this to fifty meters at the end of the Priests wall. After two more he held the same advantage. At Barry’s Boreen only the width of the avenue separated them, Bourke still fore bowl. Wilmot replied with two huge shots from here the first that came off the B & B entrance and the second that held the middle of the road for him to the farm entrance and gave him his one and only lead of the score. Two more each out to Cahermore cross where they stood on level tips. Off the line Wilmot missed Froe cross and Bourke went sight, Wilmot’s fifteenth went right and Bourke extended his lead again to fifty meters. At the big pillars Bourke was just keeping his nose in front, Wilmot missed sight at the last bend before the finish line and Bourke went full sight, Wilmott missed the line and Bourke had no bowl to take victory. In a pick-up score back the road Kieran O’Sullivan beat Mark Bourke (Jnr) by almost a bowl of odds for a stake of €1,500 a-side.
The North Cork Region wrapped up their Boy’s U-10 and U-8 tournament finals at Ballinagree, here Robin O’Sullivan beat Adam Hurley and Cillian Murphy and in the U-8 Final Jamie Collins beat Conor O’Rourke
