THE mixed doubles contest involving senior stars James O’Donovan and Hannah Sexton on one side and Michael Bohane with Geraldine Curtin in the opposing camp drew a good Saturday morning crowd to Shannonvale.
Margaret Daly’s Cancer Research fundraisers are, by now, an August staple and, in general, are very well supported by the game’s leading lights.
The series, which had several high-profile clashes and a total of 16 scores overall, was headlined by Saturday’s event that did not live up to its billing due to the Bandon/Timoleague dominance of O’Donovan/Sexton. The hot favourites in the €5,500 total stake, they justified the odds given in their favour with a commanding display.
O’Donovan’s well-cut opener and Sexton’s sweet second on the rise ensured a 100 metres odds after three and this transferred to a bowl lead after six to ‘the quarry’. Bohane/Curtin kept it at that in the bowling to ‘Desmond’s’ and did better in the exchanges to ‘Kingston’s wall’ where the margin was under the shot. They tried to further reduce with fine efforts to ‘Tobin’s’, but O’Donovan and Sexton matched both and the odds remained at the even bowl. The contest was effectively over when O’Donovan and Sexton went almost two shots clear at the D line.
Back the road on Saturday morning Brendan O’Neill and John Cahalane engaged for a €10,800 sum and it was Enniskeane man O’Neill who was away to a bowl lead by half-way. A mistake by the leading man and a spirited rally by Cahalane cut the odds to 30 at the three-quarter point but O’Neill held on for a last-shot win. The punters weren’t holding back at Shannonvale, all of which helped a bountiful return for the worthy cause, and it was the redoubtable Skibb man Cahalane casting defeat aside, who returned to the fray for a big money joust with old adversary, Jim Coffey. For a €29,600 total, Cahalane was the master from the off and was two bowls clear by ‘Desmond’s’. It was enough for a comprehensive win.
Four more scores followed, the most notable being the sixth of the day when Wayne Parkes literally blitzed the road with an awesome display of bowling that included a magnificent six-shot sequence to sight at ‘Desmond’s’. Eleven in total to the novice line represented near-record bowling for the road and Tim Young could do little against such a performance. Their contest carried a €27,600 total.
Sunday’s feature was another senior set-to. Gary Daly and Seamus Sexton were the protagonists, evenly matched rivals who have scored wins off one and other in championship and tournament duels over the years. Both carried support from the large throng that converged on the South-West venue resulting in a €29,100 total stake, and it was Daly who scored a convincing win.
A fundraising weekend would not be complete without the irrepressible Flor Crowley throwing one his well-matched rivals for a substantial stake and Shannonvale at the weekend was no exception. The last of the series saw the former Carbery campaigner taking on Darren Harrington for a sizable €51,100 total stake and, after a ding-dong struggle in which both held the front at different points, Crowley prevailed thanks to a stirring finish from the ‘quarry point’ in wards. All results are in the Carbery section.
In the weekend’s aftermath Margaret Daly was made a special presentation by the members of Shannonvale Bowling Club in appreciation of her sterling efforts over many years. Margaret was effusive in her praise of all who contributed, players and punters, stewards, referees and markers. A presentation of the sum raised will be made to CUH shortly.
