THE Carbery-South West inter-regional fundraisers took centre stage at Fisher’s Cross where 14 scores were played over four days.
The scenic South-West venue was the perfect setting and while all on the scheduled list did not take place, there were willing volunteers to fill the void.
The road itself provided a fine test with the narrower stretches to ‘Footman’s’ requiring pinpoint accuracy while power of delivery was essential on the wider open course towards ‘Galley cross’ and the Red Strand.
A feature of many scores was the change of fortunes as big leads were whittled away and many exciting finishes resulted. The opening score was typical as Shane Nugent for South West and David Minihane, Carbery, engaged in a tremendous joust. Nugent looked to rise a two-bowl lead after five to the ‘main road’, but Minihane kept it to a shot and then powered in front with a series of excellent efforts to the last bend. Eighty metres behind for the last shots, Nugent still prevailed when his final cast ran a prodigious distance. It was a mark the Carbery man missed by metres.
A feature too was the huge contribution made by players from West, Mid and Gaeltacht regions. Sunday’s main score was a doubles involving Ger D O’Driscoll and Joe Madden (Mid Cork) and Gaeltacht cousins, Conor and Cathal Creedon. Going for a €5,200 total, Mid had an early bowl of odds but lost it quickly and both O’Driscoll and Conor Creedon hit big fifth shots to ensure parity heading on the main road. The Mid Cork duo regained commanding odds in the shots to ‘Nagle’s’ and held on to win in the last shot.
There was another win for the Mid Cork men in the return when Colm O’Regan who starred in Jagoe’s Mills team win at Castletownkenneigh on the previous Sunday, came from arrears to deny Jamie McCarthy in an exciting tussle that carried a €4,200 total stake. A shot for shot duel went level at the no-play lines after both squandered chances. O’Regan won it in the last shot.
Also here, Dylan O’Driscoll won two scores, coming from a bowl down to deny Chris Murray on Good Friday and combining with Johnny O'Driscoll for a doubles victory over Donie Harnedy and John A Murphy on Saturday. There were wins for the Harringtons, Eric and Darren, on Easter Monday and in the day’s feature an all South-West clash of Eoin McCarthy and John Connolly it was the Ballineen man McCarthy who took a two bowl lead to the ‘main road’. For a €4,100 total it was enough cushion for victory.
