THE Christmas period was packed with scores, tournaments, club fundraisers and benefit scores.
Junior A nine-man tournaments seem to be the norm at the moment, and such scores were played at Ballinacurra and Grange. At Grange, Noel O’Regan had a bowl to spare on Johnny O’Driscoll and Donie Harnedy in the first semi-final, played for a total stake of €6,300. In a John John O’Driscoll intermediate tournament semi-final, Denis O’Sullivan beat Wayne Parkes by one bowl for €3,900 as. And at the same venue on St Stephen’s Day, Jim Coffey had two from John Cahalane, for €14,000 and €16,200.
Denis Wilmot won his three-way encounter with David O’Mahony and Conor Creedon for €7,800 in the annual Ballinacurra nine-man tournament. All three reached Brinny Cross in four shots, O’Mahony was a bowl down at the GAA entrance and Wilmot and Creedon were level, and they held this margin to the novice line on O’Mahony. Wilmot rose a bowl on Creedon at the junior C line before O’Mahony slipped ahead of Creedon and that’s how they finished.
In the second semi-final Noel O’Donovan snatched a win from David Hegarty and Kieran Murphy. The latter was absolutely cruising in this score while Hegarty and O’Donovan were fighting it out for second spot. After four super bowls to Foleys, Murphy had a bowl on both. He held these odds to the muddy gap, extended his lead to almost two bowls on Hegarty at the GAA entrance and was still throwing his odds on O’Donovan, but from here Murphy’s bowling faltered greatly. His lead was down to an even bowl at the double gates, that he held to the junior C line, before two poor bowls up the straight, both in left, left Murphy in trouble. Hegarty got two super bowls while O’Donovan went too far left and got caught at the avenue entrance. All three went out of sight for the line with Murphy holding big odds. Hegarty lined a great bowl. O’Donovan went in left but came out nicely and beat Hegarty’s tip. Murphy, with 80 metres to beat, was too far left and gifted O’Donovan the win. Murphy led in all but the last shot in this score.
In the third and last semi-final at Ballinacurra, Cian Boyle took the honours from Andrew O’Callaghan and Michael John O’Brien. They were level at Foleys and on to Perriots, with Boyle just shading the lead. At the novice line Boyle rose a bowl on O’Brien and throwing his odds on O’Callaghan. This continued to the Junior c line. All three were in it for a last shot – O’Brien missed the line, O’Callaghan beat this tip and Boyle beat both tips to set up a three-way final with Denis Wilmot and Noel O’Donovan.
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At Lyre, an intermediate tournament score was played between Timmy McDonagh, Fermoy, and David Shannon, Skibbereen, playing for €4,000. This was a below-par score from both players. Both were back of the Forest entrance in three with McDonagh ahead by 30 metres. Over the tunnel in five more, McDonagh had a bowl of odds. Eleven and 12 shots to Crowley’s bend where McDonagh still held a bowl. At the underpass McDonagh had big odds with the bowl and held this in three more to the line where he won by a bowl and now plays Tim Young in the semi-final.
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Ballydehob held the final of their novice A tournament, as Brian O’Driscoll beat Peter Nagle for €900. Clubs in Carbery and West Cork held their one-day club fundraisers. At Caheragh, Gavin Crowley and Natalie Dempsey beat Shane McCarthy and Marie Russell for €1,600; Colm Crowley beat Eoin McCarthy for €6,400; Alan Brickley and Eoin Hurley beat Finbarr Coughlan and Gavin Harrington for €5,700, and Michael O’Leary beat Darren Lynch for €4,600.
At Togher Cross, Cathal Creedon beat Diarmuid Hurley for €3,200, David Deane beat Barry O’Donovan for €6,000 and Eoin McCarthy beat Alan Brickley for €9,000. At Drimoleague, James and Marie Russell beat Denis Murphy and Natalie Dempsey, last shot, for €2,900; Darren Cronin beat Eoin Hurley, last shot, for €3,300; Jimmy O’Leary beat Patrick Crowley, one bowl, €3,500; and Alan Keane beat Peter Kelly, one bowl, for €3,840. At Rosscarbery, Peter Nagle beat Kevin Minihane for €1,800; Darren Whooley and James O’Neill beat Mike Cussen and Neil McCarthy, €2,000; Kieran O’Driscoll beat Michael O’Sullivan, €4,000; and Ritchie Lawton beat Sean O’Neill, €2,000.
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At the annual RNLI fundraiser at Castletownbere, Bryan O’Reilly took first blood from David Shannon, for €37,200. O’Reilly had almost a bowl after five shots past the truck park. He held this out past the graveyard and onto the double bends. Things got no better for Shannon and O’Reilly won by the bowl.
In a mixed doubles back in, David Hegarty and Ellen Sexton beat Noel O’Regan and Hannah Cronin for a total stake of €16,000. They were level in three each to the council yard with Hegarty/Sexton just ahead. Next, Cronin got a great bowl out sight and Sexton missed this, Hegarty replied with a huge bowl back of the double bends and O’Regan totally misplayed his and they faced almost a bowl down. O’Regan, however, got a super rub off the right dyke and now the odds were down to 40 metres again. After two more great bowls at the start of the graveyard, O’Regan/Cronin took the lead by two feet. Incredible bowls from the ladies in this score, both down to the truck park, with Hegarty/Sexton back in front again. After two more past the grotto, Hegarty/Sexton had a 30-metre advantage for the last shot. O’Regan got a massive last that stole the show.
There was a poor start from Murphy when he engaged with Tommy O’Sullivan for a total stake of €26,500. At the trailer park O’Sullivan was a bowl up. On past the graveyard and up past the quarry and on for the double bends, O’Sullivan held the bowl of odds. As they proceeded up the straight on for the council yard O’Sullivan still held his bowl advantage. At the junior line Murphy had the gap to under the bowl and had a chance of reducing the odds further approaching the finish but only beat the tip by 30 metres for the last shots. O’Sullivan just missed the line and Murphy only beat the tip and the line.
Back down, Kieran Shannon – brother of David, who bowled earlier in the day – had a good victory over Thomas Maloney for €16,000. On Sunday, Michael John O’Brien and Eamonn Bowen had a score each – Michael John won the first for €20,000 and Bowen the second for €24,000.
The big one for the weekend was Arthur McDonagh and James O’Donovan, who played for a total stake of €50,000. Bandon man O’Donovan had only one lead in this score and that was his second shot. McDonagh recovered the lead with an incredible third bowl to the truck park. Two more each to the end of the graveyard wall where McDonagh was 25 metres ahead. O’Donovan missed sight for the double bends and McDonagh, with another well-played bowl, went full sight. McDonagh rose the bowl with his eighth. After two more shots each above the council yard McDonagh had a big bowl of odds. O’Donovan did not take advantage of a poor shot from McDonagh to the junior line but got it under the bowl by 15 metres. O’Donovan had another opportunity with the second-last shot but it was played out too far and turned in on him. McDonagh went on top of the line with a super last that O’Donovan missed.
To round off the weekend’s bowling Wayne Parkes beat Patrick Flood for €12,000. Flood led to the first bend and on past the council yard. On down to the double bends and on for the graveyard, Parkes led by 15 metres. At the truck park, Parkes increased his lead to 30 metres. After two more, Parkes’ odds was 40 metres by the back of the grotto. Flood’s second-last caught the left dyke and threw it across the road while Parkes was very unlucky and got caught left before the cope centre. Flood lined a beauty for the last shot but Parkes beat this by 30 metres. Well done to the Castletownbere Bowling Club in raising €10,000 for the RNLI and the Keith Hegarty Fund.
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At Beál na Marbh, former intermediate and senior player Edmund Sexton had a good win over newly-promoted junior A player Conor Creedon. Playing for a stake of €6,800, Creedon had three metres after five shots, Sexton took the lead at the rock, and produced a huge seventh past Hubbard’s to rise almost a bowl. Down past the hedging and on to the novice line, Sexton led by over 50 metres. He held this for the last shot, Creedon missed the line and Sexton had nothing to beat. In supporting scores to this, Cathal Creedon/Anthony Lynch beat Kevin Manning/Eamonn Murphy for €3,100. Also, Stephen Spillane beat Donnacha Lucey €3,000 and David Hubbard/Martin Kelleher beat Cathal Creedon/Anthony Lynch €2,400.
