IT was an all-Carbery affair in the Mikie Hourihane Cup final at Bauravilla, as local man Colm Crowley played Leap’s Kevin Minihane and Caheragh bowler Denis O’Sullivan.
O’Sullivan held the early exchanges to the cross. At Decker’s in seven each, Minihane had a slender lead on both O’Sullivan and Crowley. O’Sullivan was back in front again and after two more good bowls to the rock there was still nothing separating them. O’Sullivan increased his lead on Crowley with two more to the D line, where Minihane was level with him.
O’Sullivan’s bowl to the Bridge sealed the deal for him as it rose a bowl of odds on both players. He increased his odds from here to the finish and lifted the Hourihane Cup. This was the 17th hosting of this nine-man tournament. The Hourihane family put up this cup in memory of their father in 2006. There were stakes of 3 x €2,000, and €2,000 between O’Sullivan and Crowley.
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Derrinasafa held another of their junior tournament scores, as John Cahalane and Diarmuid Hurley played off for a total stake of €4,300. Cahalane bowled extremely well in this score, so much so that he led from start to finish.
He rose big odds with a well-played third shot, and followed up with two more excellent shots to Foxes Lane where he rose a bowl of odds. Hurley’s bowling became very wayward from here to Natties bend, all his bowls veering off right.
From Natties bend, Cahalane opened Cotters Cross and up to the Darkwood turn in two more where he led by over two bowls of odds. Hurley made inroads into this lead; he knocked the two bowls at Dwyer’s house and the odds were down to a bowl and 30 metres above Walshes Lane, but that was as good as it got for Hurley as Cahalane rose the two bowls again at Hon Grady’s. In a return score Thomas Maloney beat Barry O’Donovan by the last shot for €1,750 a-side.
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The ladies committee held another very successful ladies and underage morning in the North Cork venue of Firmount. Over 20 participants turned out and results as follows: team event, first place, Chloe Hubbard, Robyn O’Brien, Suzanne O’Brien and Sarah Murphy; second place, Emma Fitzpatrick, Aibhe and Kaela Corrigan; and in third place, Anna Deane, Lauren O’Rourke, Hannah Sexton and Eve Murphy. Long shot event: U10, first, Abi May Sexton, second, Lily McDonagh and third, Aibhe Corrigan; U14, first, Robyn O’Brien, second, Sarah Murphy and third, Anna Deane; adult section, first, Emma Fitzpatrick, second, Lauren O’Brien and third, Ava Ronan.
Winners and runners-up in the ladies/underage morning at Firmount.
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Early on Sunday morning at Ballinacurra, newly-promoted intermediate players, Michael Murphy (Mallow) was up against David Shannon (Skibbereen) for a total stake of €4,200. At Brinny Cross, Murphy had a 20-metre advantage. At Foley’s they were level, still Murphy marginally fore at the end of Perrot’s sheds. At the GAA entrance Murphy was throwing over 15 meters, before Shannon took the lead at the Novice line, but his performance up the narrow road cost him a lot of ground and Murphy rose a bowl and held this to the line. Ronan Hoey beat Deckie O’Mahony in a return score for €4,000.
In the afternoon at Ballinacurra, two up-and-coming young lads, Anthony Crowley and Shane Crowley, togged off for a total stake of €10,220. Both reached Brinny Cross in four each where Anthony had a 25-metre advantage. Three seriously well-played bowls from Anthony from back of the Cross meant he now had a one-bowl advantage below the gasworks. Shane knocked the bowl from here to the Sheds but Anthony delivered a rocket down to the hurling alley. Shane followed this to keep it under the bowl. At the bridge only five metres separated them, before Anthony got another super bowl past the Silvery Gates that rose the bowl for him again. After two more up the straight, Anthony had the makings of two bowls. In a return score, Flor Crowley beat Colm O’Regan by one bowl for €18,000.
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Lyre held the semi-final of their intermediate tournament between Denis O’Sullivan and Wayne Parkes, for a total stake of €3,700. There was a blistering start from both players to the start of the soccer railings. O’Sullivan then got a super second shot above the forest entrance, Parkes was left and his third was right. O’Sullivan was back of the tunnel in two more but Parkes was keeping it under the bowl. Parkes got a good sixth to the start of Crowley’s wall and O’Sullivan misplaced his over right. When it looked like they were going to Crowley’s bend level, Parkes unleashed a screamer of a seventh shot that looked like the lead but O’Sullivan, with the aid of a big rub off the right dyke, beat this tip by 20 metres. O’Sullivan held this advantage in three more to McCarthy’s bend.
From here, Parkes pulled his bowl in left to the back of the wall and O’Sullivan made the big tree. Parkes only beat this tip again by 35 metres, but still O’Sullivan was not putting this score away – he misplaced his 13th down right and still only 50 metres separated them for the last shots. Unfortunately, Parkes missed the line and O’Sullivan played his well and beat it easily. Parkes reversed the result in a return score for €2,860.
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Bantry held some club fundraising scores. Darragh McCarthy beat Denis Murphy by the last shot for €600 a-side. Michael O’Leary beat Brendan Dudly by the last shot for €1,000 a-side, the Togher pair of Liam Hurley and Chris Murray beat Murish Buttimer and Kieran Hourihane by one bowl for €1,130 a-side and Cornelius O’Mahony beat Darren Cronin by one bowl for €600 a-side.
