SHANE Crowley is the toast of Carbery after his magnificent U18 campaign ended in county championship glory at Castletownkenneigh on Sunday evening.
Facing the formidable East Cork U16 All-Ireland winner John O’Donoghue, who had defeated him last year, Shane showed the full range of his talents in a performance that had his big band of supporters buzzing from the off.
O’Donoghue built a good early lead but was reeled in in the white-hot atmosphere that prevailed throughout the score. Showing nerves of steel, the Schull youth produced a finishing surge that would have seen off the very best. Shane will be part of the Castletownkenneigh All-Ireland programme in a fortnight’s time when he contests with Oisin Gribben or Neil Steveson for national honours.
It was the 2023 U16 champion, O’Donoghue, who held early sway. Superb second and fourth shots swept him to a 100-metre lead as they played past ‘Kinneigh cross’. Shane needed something and found it with immaculate shots on the rise to ‘O’Leary’s’ where he had whittled O’Donoghue’s margin to mere metres. The East Cork champion stayed in front though until Shane pitched a beauty to the ‘black gate’ corner and, when tips were marked, he had forged in front.
On a roll, he was inch perfect in two expertly-delivered casts that had him sight at ‘Forsion’s cross’ a bowl ahead. A well-judged loft consolidated his bowl lead but O’Donoghue wasn’t finished. A ferocious third last might have cut odds significantly but Shane wasn’t for turning when following and beating a formidable mark. Shane could do no wrong and was crowned county U18 champion after a magnificent under-pressure performance.
Remarkably, Shane is the first to win the county U18 championship under the Carbery banner. The grade, instituted in 1971, has been the springboard for success for a host of the game’s greats. Its roll-call of winners include senior, intermediate and top junior county and All-Ireland winners. Bill Daly and Pat Bohane won top honours in the grade in the 1970s while affiliated to the West Cork division. Shane Shannon, Denis O’Sullivan, Liam O’Sullivan were county finalists down through the years.
Donie Harnedy is Carbery junior B champion for 2024 after a dramatic last-shot victory over old nemesis John Cahalane at Bauravilla on Friday. In a stakeless contest with Cahalane incurring an injury during practice, Harnedy took early command, rising a shot of odds with good bowling to ‘Dekker’s’. Cahalane whittled away at the lead and had it 50 metres by the ‘bridge’. He made further inroads and took a first-time lead of fifty metres at an important juncture when the longtime leader misplayed at ‘O’Donoghue’s’. Just when Harnedy’s chance seemed gone, he produced a whipping last shot along the centre and it proved the winner when Cahalane’s reply stopped seven metres short. A county quarter-final beckons against either West Cork’s Liam Hurley or Gaeltacht’s Conor Creedon.
A rarity in Carbery, a three-time U12 champion – that is the record achieved by Brian Harrington, Droumoreen, after his third successive win in the grade at Bauravilla. Conor Deane provided sturdy opposition and reeled in Brian’s early lead to go in front himself with a great throw to ‘Dreeney house’. Brian upped his game again and had good odds as ‘the rock’. This time, Brian, who had a great run to the county final last year, held his advantage and won by almost two. Frank Hurley of Carbery Oils presented the winners cup to the new champion.
David O’Connor and Patrick Crowley have qualified for the novice B final. O’Connor put in a big finish to deny Mike Mennis in the first of the semi-finals at Ballydehob while Crowley saw off former winner, Sidney Shannon, in Sunday’s second semi.
Results:
County Championships:
Castletownkenneigh: County U18 final, Shane Crowley (Carbery) defeated John O’Donoghue (East), one bowl.
Ballinacurra, Upton: Senior Women Group A, Denise Murphy defeated Emma Fitzpatrick, two bowls.
Caheragh: Women’s Intermediate, Group B, Ellen Sexton defeated Rachel Kingston.
Drinagh: Girls’ U18 semi-final, Ellen Sexton (South West) defeated Abbey Caverley (Carbery).
Carbery Championships
Baruravilla: Junior B final, Donie Harnedy defeated John Cahalane, last shot; Boys U12 final, Brian Harrington won from Conor Deane.
Leap: Novice C, Denis Murphy defeated Brian O’Mahony, last shot, for €500.
Marsh Road: Novice D, Martin Collins defeated Jack Murphy; Dan McCarthy defeated Darren McSweeney.
Ballydehob: Novice B semi-finals, David O’Connor defeated Mike Mennis, one bowl, for €900; Patrick Crowley defeated Sidney Shannon, last shot.
Caheragh: Novice C, Shane Crowley defeated Shane Fitzpatrick; Novice D, Padraigh Hodnett defeated Jack Maloney, last shot, for €500.
Club
Ballydehob: Peter Nagle defeated Mark Shannon, two bowls, for €1,500.
Leap: Patrick Crowley defeated David Minihane, last shot, for €1,000.
Ballydehob: Doubles, Kevin Minihane/Alan Keane defeated Sidney/Mark Shannon, last shot, for €700.
Beal na mBlath: Stephen Moore/Stephen Murphy defeated Barry Coughlan/Colm O’Regan, last shot, for €1,060.
Templemartin: Doubles: Michael John/Sonny O’Brien defeated Alex O’Donovan/John O’Driscoll, last shot, for €2,000.
Newcestown: Kevin Coughlan defeated Sonny O’Brien, last shot, for €3,700.
Castletownkenneigh: Kevin Coughlan defeated Brian Horgan, one bowl, for €9,000.
