DENIS Wilmot from Bandon had a trap-to-line win over David O’Mahony from Fivemile- bridge in the Junior A tournament semi-final at Ballygurteen for a stake of €3,300 at the weekend.
After poor opening bowls both players recovered well to open the first bend in three where Wilmot had a lead of 10 metres. O’Mahony was just back off the Women’s Lane in three more and Wilmot at the end of the railings extending his lead to 30m. O’Mahony got a bowl to lead but Wilmot wasn’t having any of it and got a huge seventh to just back of O’Mahony’s Avenue. After four more to the Coffee Doc for Wilmot, O’Mahony was still in the score if he could open O’Donovan’s bend in two. But his first shot turned in right at the Coffee Doc and only just fore of Wilmot’s tip. Wilmot got up and around O’Donovan’s bend in two more and O’Mahony failed in two to leave a bowl of odds. O’Mahony went for it with his last but it was too far right and got caught just fore of Wilmot’s tip to leave almost two bowls in it. Wilmot closed it out in his next shot and now awaits the winners of Jimmy O’Driscoll or Cian Boyle in the final.
In a return score back, DD Carroll beat Jerome O’Mahony for a stake totalling €2,200.
Drinagh hosted a Vintage A score between Kieran O’Driscoll, Ardfield and Jimmy Collins, Union Hall. Colllins had a great start but O’Driscoll reeled him in and took his first lead at the Church. Collins missed down and O’Driscoll was up to Shandrum Cross in two more where he had a bowl of odds. Both missed the black sticks with their next, both up to the top of the hill and into the pond in two more where O’Driscoll still had a bowl of odds with only one shot remaining, and O’Driscoll prevailed.
O’Driscoll now takes on the opponent that beat him in the Junior Veteran final, Andrew O’Leary of Fermoy, in the Vintage A semi-final at Jagoes Mills.
Our live streamers Michelle and Eamonn travelled to Boston over the weekend, where scores were played for to celebrate the 20th anniversary of bowling around the Womputuck State Park. The All-Irelands were held here for the first time in 2004 and again in 2018. Super middle weight boxer Tommy Hyde from Gurranabraher in Cork City launched the weekend with a fine shot of a bowl. Togging out first were Christy O’Donnell from Farranree playing Sean O’Mahony whose parents hail from Ballydehob but now domicile in Boston, for a total stake of €2,300. This was a close score but O’Mahony’s third last cost him.
Up next was Eamonn Bowen v Donal O’Riordan for a stake of €6,400. O’Riordan started this score with two incredible bowls in the Park. Bowen kept it under the bowl for the first four or five shots but O’Riordan rose the bowl and almost a second one until Bowen slowly reeled him in and won by the last shot. O’Riordan had picked up an ankle injury so his finishing wasn’t great. Darren O’Donovan a native of Kinsale but now living in Boston took on Noel Gould of Fairhill for a total stake of €7,000. O’Donovan dominated this score and rose a bowl of odds with his 10th shot. He gave Gould opportunities but he didn’t take them and held out to win by almost a bowl.
From Boston 4,000 miles away, Martin Coppinger travelled to Italy this past weekend and took on Italy’s best Emanuele Subissati. Emanuele had everything strength, precision and an impeccable technique and has won everything the Italian game has to offer, but in Coppinger he came up against a player of immense power. They had a ding dong score and Cop- pinger held out in the end to win by a mere 15m.
Storm Ashley blew strong and fierce at times around all venues of county Cork, but this did not deter the players or fol- lowers from venturing out to get their fix of bowling on Sunday.
Cathal Creedon was back in Lyre again at the weekend to take on his European underage team mate Anthony Crowley from The Glen in a first round score of a new junior tournament for a stake of €6,200. Unfortunately Creedon came out the wrong side of this tussle. He was way behind his bowling of the previous week. Crowley led from start to finish. He had two great opening bowls to the forest entrance to take 40m of odds. Crowley rose the bowl with two more great bowls just back of the tunnel, and took this lead to Crowley’s bend and on to McCarthy’s, where Creedon missed full sight and buried his next in right. Things didn’t get any better for Creedon and matters were finished after two more.
At Shannonvale, in a Noel Phair Cup score and for the second consecutive week Arthur McDonagh took on Aidan Murphy for a stake totalling €4,100. The form that McDonagh has shown over the last few weeks made him a huge favourite. Murphy had the better start in this score throwing over 60m heading for the quarry bend. From here to Desmonds Cross, McDonagh rose a bowl of odds. Three more shots down to Sam’s Lane and McDonagh still held big odds of 100m. Murphy stuck in there and at Tobin’s the odds was down 60m. Level at Campbells Lane in two more, Murphy was back in front by a foot back of the junior line. Murphy had an advantage of 50m for the last shot and reversed the result of Lyre the previous week. McDonagh the holder of the Noel Phair Cup from 2023 bowed out and Aidan Murphy who has never won this tourna- ment progresses on to the next round.
Béal Na Bláth wrapped up a Novice C nine-man tournament on Sunday. Vintage player Mick Murphy from Innishannon took on Newcestown’s Barry Coughlan and Dylan Galvin. The money here totalled €1,650. Galvin had the better start leading by 20m after three shots. Coughlan got a great fourth bowl to Murphy’s Palms and took his first lead, and suddenly Galvin was last of the three. On through Bradfield’s Cross and Coughlan was cruising. Having almost a bowl on both players, Coughlan rose the bowl with a jet up the centre past Den Joe’s Lane, leaving Murphy and Galvin fighting for second place.
Coughlan had two more su- per bowls to the Bull’s Gate, while Murphy had 30m on Galvin at this juncture. Coughlan had two more out sight for the finish line to finish almost a two bowls of odds winner.
Murphy still held 30m on Galvin. Galvin missed the line but so did Murphy. Galvin lined a huge last to O’Mahony’s entrance to take second place as Murphy missed this tip.
A feast of eight scores entertained spectators at the famed Waterloo road in the City over the weekend for their annual William Wolf tournament. In the first semi-final on Saturday Stephen Spillane beat Colm O’Regan and Gary Maguire and in the second semi-final John Donnellan beat Michael O’Driscoll and Deckie O’Mahony. This set up the final on Sunday between Stephen Spillane from
Ballinagree and John Donnellan from Douglas, for a total stake of €4,200. Spillane took this trophy in 2023 but Donnellan is a seasoned campaigner and bowled a fine, steady score tow in by a bowl of odds. In supporting scores David Crowley beat Declan O’Leary and Sean O’Leary. Wayne Callanan beat Michael Murphy. Timmy Murphy and Michael John O’Brien had one each. And into the mix also was a mixed doubles score where Ciara Buckley and Jack O’Leary beat Veronica O’Mahony and Paul Murphy. Chairman Willie Murphy was on hand to make the presentation of prizes and he commended the club on running this annual event and all the players who took part.
