NOEL O’Regan got the new Paddy Murray Cup underway with a victory over Johnny O’Driscoll at Ballygurteen.
Playing for a total stake of €4,100, O’Regan took his first lead with a good third shot out the first bend, though O’Driscoll then hit the front after two more throws past Dullea’s new house. O’Driscoll held a minimal lead at the women’s lane and on to O’Mahony’s avenue. By now, both players were not playing to their capability.
At O’Mahony’s bungalow O’Driscoll was still just ahead, if only by 20 metres. Both missed up to O’Donovan’s bend in three more but O’Regan was back in front again. A poor bowl here from O’Driscoll gave O’Regan a chance, but he did not punish it as he only beat the mark by 35 metres. O’Regan held the odds to Burke’s entrance. A super bowl here from O’Driscoll saw him snatch the lead for the last shot by five metres. O’Regan then unleashed a great last bowl with speed and it got a nice touch off the brow. O’Driscoll missed this, his bowl fell left well short of the mark.
Three further scores took place – Eoin McCarthy beat Jimmy O’Brien for €3,200 a-side and Jim Coffey got the better of Johnny O’Driscoll twice, for €1,500 and €2,000 a-side.
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On Friday evening at Drinagh, a ladies intermediate score was played between Ellen Sexton, Timoleague, and Ailbhie O’Shea for a total stake of €640. There were shots of the highest order in this score. O’Shea was out to the barking dogs in two big bowls, but Sexton enjoyed a massive third throw that won her the lead for the first time. Two more throws each to the church where Sexton made a bad mistake. O’Shea was back in front here, would not relinquish the lead, and took control with bowling of the highest order. She made the rectory gate and up to Shandrum cross in three bowls where she had a bowl of odds. Sexton knocked the bowl with a massive shot to the black sticks; it could have levelled the score but O’Shea followed it. O’Shea rose further odds up the hill and into the pond to win by a big bowl of odds.
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At Templemichael in the junior A championship, Patrick O’Driscoll made the trip from London to play Paddy Stokes for a stake of €1,400 a-side. Stokes proved to be the stronger player on the day and won by two bowls. In a return score Tom Cronin beat Christy Stokes for €500 a-side.
Another junior A score took place at Clondrohid between Sean Murphy, Brinny, and David Hubbard, Beal na Marbh, for €1,800 a-side. A poor start here from Hubbard meant he was almost a bowl down after two shots. Murphy rose further odds on the shots up to Tier Beg cross and held a bowl and 30 metres at the black house. Hubbard got an average bowl from here to the graveyard wall and Murphy took advantage with a super bowl to the Bell Inn that Hubbard missed – it meant Murphy was two bowls up. Both went over Kelly Hill in two more and on for Geoff’s Lane, Hubbard could not reel in the odds and Murphy progressed on to the next round.
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Senior ladies Triona Kidney and Veronica O’Mahony played off in Ballyclough, and this was a trap-to-line victory for O’Mahony playing up against one of the top seniors of the noughties. O’Mahony was ahead by 70 metres after two shots, Kidney opened the bend but O’Mahony followed this to hold her lead. There was almost a bowl in it after four more. As the road got a bit rougher it was O’Mahony who handled it better, Kidney dropping bowls. Kidney played some good bowls towards the end but O’Mahony followed and beat them to win out in the end by a bowl of odds.
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At Bauravilla in a junior B championship score, Michael O’Sullivan played Caheragh man Denis O’Sullivan for a stake of €650 a-side, with the latter the favourite. Michael reached the netting in five great bowls where he had almost a bowl, and he rose it with his next to Decker’s. Denis replied with two great bowls to the Rock that knocked the odds to 60 metres. At the bridge Michael had the bowl almost up again. He made the novice line in 13, and three more to the finish line to win by a bowl.
Colin O’Donovan, Dunmanway but now based in London, made the trip to Bantry to play Skibbereen man Donie Harnedy in the junior A championship, playing for a total stake of €3,600, Harnedy dominated the first half of this score, mainly due to a poor start from O’Donovan. Harnedy had a nice lead at Cronin’s Bend but O’Donovan had it level at the crush, and from here O’Donovan finished very well to win out in the end by a bowl.
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With very little on Sunday afternoon, Grange drew the crowd for a senior challenge score between Brian Wilmot and Wayne Parkes, playing for a stake of €3,520 a-side. Parkes took the first shot of the score but alas it was to be his only lead. Wilmot, only to the middle of the wall with his first, got an unbelievable second shot, just short of the Stud Farm that catapulted him into a bowl of odds lead so early in this score.
Wilmot followed with three more super bowls past De Barra’s and then two more to the Green where he doubled his odds to two bowls. Parkes could make no inroads into this lead. Heading up the hill for John Bill’s and onto Noelie’s bungalow Wilmott held nice odds with the two bowls of odds. Parkes finished with three good bowls but Wilmot followed and beat them to win by two bowls. In a return score here Eoin McCarthy and Thomas Maloney beat Jim Coffey and Deckie O’Mahony for €1,500 a-side.
The ladies committee of Ból Chumann held the last of their ladies and underage mornings at Paddoes until later in the year. All regions have now hosted these mornings so it will be back to Mid Cork in September.
