THE Marsh Road is the chosen venue for Sunday’s county senior championship final after Brian Wilmot’s surprise semi-final win over Gary Daly on Thursday with the Carbery venue deemed central for the Bantry-Bandon showdown.
It is the Skibb club’s third time of hosting bowling’s highest profile final with 1988 (Mick O’Driscoll (B) v Seamus Sexton) and 2008 (David Murphy v Aidan Murphy) the previous occasions.
Following on from Castletownkenneigh, stewarding and safety measures will require personnel from surrounding clubs.
Later at Bauravilla two more county deciders are down for decision. First off is the women's intermediate play-off between Ellen Sexton and Hannah Cronin followed by the girls’ U16 final involving Emma Hurley and Maebh Cuinnea or Laura Sexton.
Also, Carbery has five from the novice and junior C grades now vying for county honours and participation in bowling’s third All-Ireland series at Courtmacsherry on September 7th and 8th.
It promises to be a busy few weeks as all are involved in preliminary-round scores against City counterparts who will be well-grilled after winning their regional competitions which had numbers, at least, on a par with Carbery. The opening salvos were played out at Ballinacurra, Upton on Sunday morning when City’s Anthony Crowley pitched up in novice A against Carbery’s Danny Coughlan. Underage international Crowley had too much firepower at times and eliminated the Carbery champion after a competitive encounter. Denis O’Sullivan (junior C), Patrick Crowley (novice B), Brendan Crowley (novice C) and either Martin Collins or Cian Bowen from the D grade all have contests to come against City opposition.
In midweek underage action Maebh Cuinnea was in excellent form in her county quarter-final win over North East’s Abbie McDonald. A brilliant last quarter at Beál na mBláth won this one for Meabh. There was, however, no joy for U16 champion Conor Crowely who also finished well but could not overhaul North East’s Gerald McDonagh’s bowl of odds lead.
This week’s Carbery novice D final at Reenascreena will be contested by Schull’s Cian Bowen and Leap’s Martin Collins. From 62 starters at the outset, both have earned their place in the decider through consistency over a long period and this was evidenced again in coming through hard-fought semi-finals last week. Bowen, fresh from playing a big role in Goleen’s county final success, just about held off the challenge of Skibb’s Kieran Shannon while Collins, a leading light with Kilmacs as they prepare for their championship, edged a tough battle with another Schull contender, Luke Nolan on Thursday.
Results
County Championships:
Ballinacurra, Upton: County novice A preliminary round, Anthony Crowley (City) defeated Danny Coughlan (Carbery), one bowl.
Beál na mBláth: County U16 quarter-final, Maebh Cuinnea (Carbery) won from Abbie McDonnell (North East); Boys’ U16 quarter-final, Gerald McDonagh (North East) defeated Conor Corwley (Carbery), last shot.
Grange: Vintage, Gerry Connolly defeated Robbie Limrick.
Carbery Championships:
Marsh Road: Girls’ U12, Sophie Dullea won from Hanna Pylak.
Reenascreena: Novice D, Martin Collins defeated Paddy McCarthy, two bowls; Novice D semi-finals, Cian Bowen defeated Kieran Shannon, last shot, for €2,800; Martin Collins defeated Luke Nolan, almost a bowl, for €1,200.
Club:
Beál na mBláth: Sean Nyhan defeated Mark Courtney, last shot, for €3,400.
Reenascreena: Novice D tour, Eoin Deasy defeated Pat Joe Connolly, last shot, for €1,380; Doubles: Kieran O’Sullivan/David Minihane defeated Gavin Crowley/Luke Nolan, last shot, for €840.
Newcestown: Michael Desmond defeated Sean Galvin, last shot, for €2,400.
