MUNSTER enjoyed a clean sweep of honours against their Ulster counterparts in the fourth hosting of the boys and girls’ All-Ireland Youth team championships (U12 and U14) on the Lyons road in Newcastle, Co Dublin.
This is the fourth consecutive year of these All-Ireland championships and they continue to go from strength to strength.
The first pairing off were the boys’ U14 duo of Fionan Twohig and Eoghan Hickey, followed by Tadgh Hickey and Jack Allen – they recorded a total of 2679.7 metres, to beat Ulster’s Johnny Campbell, Keilan Fullerton, Jack O’Reilly and Cahir Casey total of 2530.4 metres.
Next up we had the girls’ U14 team of Chloe Hubbard, Lauren McCarthy, Nicola Hurley and Layla Fleming with 2172.1 metres, taking the honours from Ulster’s Anna Toal, Connie Mallon, Lucy Lennon and Aoife Cahill at 1889.1m.
The Munster girls’ U12 team did not have much to spare over Ulster, as Robyn O’Brien, Lily McDonagh, Aoife McCarthy and Cait Young carded 1698.2 metres, just ahead of Ulster’s Eva Mallon, Róise Kiernan, Trudie O’Rourke and Chloe Garvey with 1647.9 metres.
The last group up were the boys’ U12 team of Tommy Coppinger, Jayden Crowley, Kieran and Sean Hickey with a score of 2172.1 metres, and they won from Ulster’s Daithi Cahill, Aaron Mackle, Conan Casey and Keelan Fullerton who came in at 2009.9 metres.
Chloe Hubbard from Rylane has been on all teams since its inception in 2022, which is a wonderful achievement. Chairman Willie Murphy thanked all who made the day another wonderful success, he thanked all the youth officers from both north and south, the ladies committee, the sponsors Deane and Young and the Dynes brothers, the caterers and the GAA pavilion for facilitating the presentation.
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The junior A championship is now in full swing. On Saturday in Ballinacurra there was an all-Mid cork clash between Noel O’Donovan and David O’Mahony, playing for a total stake of €1,300. O’Mahony took his first lead at Brinny cross, but by Foleys, O’Donovan was back in front. A huge sixth throw from O’Donovan raised almost a bowl of odds at the gasline and raised it fully with another good bowl to Perriots avenue. There were two more each to the GAA entrance and two more to the Silvery gate and there was no catching O’Donovan after his 14th shot where he had a full two bowls.
Conna hosted another junior A championship score when Cian Boyle from the city played Eamonn Bowen from Carrignavar for a total stake of €2,000. There was nothing between them after five shots each to Coleman’s corner, but a poor bowl here from Boyle gave Bowen his first lead at Cullinane’s cottage. After two more to the Bridge, Bowen held a slender lead of ten metres but he extended this with a huge bowl to Meade’s new house. Boyle wasn’t giving up he played a fantastic tenth to the end of the paling that won him back the lead – he held this lead to Mullins wall. Bowen showed some intermediate class with his next bowl to the top of the gasline hill, restoring his lead, but Boyle played a great 16th past the novice line. Bowen beat the line and Boyle dribbled over to win by ten metres.
At the Clubhouse, in another junior A championship, Rossmore’s Gavin Twohig played Darragh Dempsey from Skibbereen for €800 a-side. Three good bowls to the chips from Twohig yielded him a bowl of odds. Three more to Clonakilty cross saw Twohig extend his lead to 50 metres with the bowl. Dempsey got a good bowl from here but Twohig was on top form and went out of sight at the pillars and took his bowl of odds down to O’Riordan’s. Dempsey had it under the bowl at the end of the garage but it was not enough as Twohig finished strong and won out in the end by a big bowl of odds.
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There was a ladies intermediate clash at Newcestown, as former Cork footballer Juliet Murphy had a convincing win over Lisa Hegarty. At O’Brien’s cross Murphy led by ten metres. She powered up the hill to Kingston’s where she rose two bowls of odds. Murphy did exceptional bowling from here to the finish to win well.
At Castletown in the junior B championship, John A Murphy played Denis Murphy; there was no stake. Three great bowls each past Spillane’s, Denis just was just ahead, but after four more up past round tower cross John A forged ahead by one metre. After two more to Pynes' corner Denis was ahead again, by two meters. Two good bowls from here to sight for the netting for John A where he had valuable odds, but Denis cut the right-hand corner with his 12th out past the netting a super bowl that won him back the lead by 20 metres. It was enough to secure him victory when he beat the line with his last.
