BOTTLEHILL was the venue that attracted the crowds last weekend for the third hosting of the Eamonn Bowen memorial tournament, honouring a man who gave his life to bowling.
On Saturday all three semi-finals were thrown, the first of these a three-hander between Martin Coppinger, the inaugural winner of this cup in 2022, and Aidan Murphy and Gary Daly. All three had their moments in front in this score, Daly led after five, Coppinger after seven and Murphy took the lead in the second last shot and won by the last shot from Coppinger and a bowl on Daly. The total stake €21,000.
A poor start for James O’Donovan in the second semi-final had him playing catch-up, as Arthur McDonagh powered on to raise a bowl of odds after nine and a further bowl between there and the finish. They played for €31,000.
Tommy O’Sullivan was victorious in the third and last semi-final, played for a total stake of €18,000. Defending champion Seamus Sexton kept pace with him for the first five or six shots but after that it was all O’Sullivan, who went on in the end to win by a bowl. This result meant a new name will be added to this cup.
The final on Sunday had a three-way stake of €2,500, McDonagh a well-fancied favourite in this one. This was a score of three thirds, the first third belonged to Murphy as he started the better and rose a bowl on O’Sullivan very early in the score and was throwing big odds over McDonagh. However, McDonagh played a few spectacular bowls of his own and took the lead over Murphy and had almost two bowls on O’Sullivan. The latter wasn’t giving up and O’Sullivan put in a storming finish to line four incredible bowls, take the lead and rise a bowl on Murphy and reeled in the two bowls of odds that McDonagh had on him, to push this score to a last shot, with McDonagh having a 15-metre advantage.
O’Sullivan lined a great bowl but alas there was to be no lead for him as McDonagh beat this comfortably and took the Eamonn Bowen Memorial Cup and the €1,000 prize-fund. This was also a fundraising weekend for Cancer Research and well done the Bottlehill/Carrignavar bowling committee’s on running off a very successful weekend.
After the vintage final were, from left, Mick Lucey, Clondrohid club; John Nagle, runner-up; Kieran O'Driscoll, winner; Benny Hoare, runner-up, and Micháel Ó Ceallacháin, Bol Chumann.
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At Clondrohid the overall vintage final was played between Kieran O’Driscoll, John Nagle and Benny Hoare. There was no stake in this one, as O’Driscoll, the higher graded player, was well fancied and he did not disappoint. He played what can only be described as a flawless score, leading from start to finish.
O’Driscoll had a bowl on Nagle early in this score as poor third and fourth shots cost him ground. Hoare had big odds on Nagle at the Avenue Gates but Nagle kept in touch with Hoare when he played great seventh and eighth shots to the Black House where now only ten metres separated them. O’Driscoll had almost two bowls on them.
O’Driscoll unleashed a cannon of a sixth to just back of the Bell Inn, while Nagle produced a beauty of his own to the Bell Inn and took the lead from Hoare. All over Kelly’s Hump in ten for O’Driscoll and 12 for Hoare and Nagle with Hoare back in front of Nagle again, the fight for second place was hotting up now. Out and around Kelleher’s Corner where it was under the two bowls and Hoare had five metres on Nagle, O’Driscoll got a fantastic bowl full sight for the line, declaring him the winner. Both Nagle and Hoare hit Kelleher’s Wall and Nagle was fore bowl for the last shot by four inches, Hoare got a massive bowl, worked his left hand pull on it nicely and beat the line well. Nagle was slightly right and it fell in right and missed the tip.
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Lyre held the semi-final of a nine-man junior A tournament between Conor Creedon, Denis Wilmot and David Hegarty, Two great opening bowls from Hegarty had him off to a good start, but a dip in form between here and the tunnel had Wilmot throwing his odds over both players. Two super bowls from Wilmot to peeping sight at Crowley’s bend where he had a bowl on Hegarty and throwing his odds over Creedon.
After the crossover Wilmot had 15 metres on Creedon and a big bowl of odds on Hegarty. Creedon opened McCarthy’s bend and a bad mistake here from Wilmot he missed up. At McCarthy’s Wall, Creedon had 30 metres on Wilmot and a bowl on Hegarty. Hegarty lined two super bowls from here and slipped into second place ahead of Wilmot. Creedon held on to win by the bowl. Stake in that score was €5,400.
A return score at Lyre saw Adrian Buttimer beat James O’Sullivan for a total stake of €4,000. Both were down to McCarthy’s bend in four each, O’Sullivan with 30 metres of odds. Both were down and around Crowley’s bends for the home straight Buttimer just fore bowl, Buttimer held the lead with two more great bowls to the tunnel. O’Sullivan was unlucky to miss the line by a metre in four more, Buttimer lined a great last that was very beatable, but unfortunately for O’Sullivan he was right of play and missed the tip by a few metres.
Bauravilla held the third semi-final of their Mikie Hourihane Cup tournament between Kevin Minihane, Pat Daly and Finbarr Coughlan. Minihane dominated this score from the off, rose a bowl on Coughlan at decker’s and had two bowls on Daly. Out the bridge in 11 for Minihane where his odds on Daly increased to three bowls and he still held a bowl on Coughlan, as he held this margin to the finish. He now plays Denis O’Sullivan and Colm Crowley in the final.
