CARBERY’S 2024 championship season is about to commence.
As in all divisions, numbers are heavily weighted towards the novice grades with 56 alone starting in Carbery’s novice D. Junior A has just three: last year’s winner David Shannon, Darragh Dempsey and 2023 B winner Shane Shannon. Micheál O’Sullivan, Donie Harnedy and John Cahalane will contest junior B while Colm Crowley and Denis O’Sullivan will have a best of three for the junior C championship.
First away will be the novice veteran championship which has 25 in total slotted into sections A and B. In A, last year’s winner Sidney Shannon has a tough opener against John Nagle at The Marsh Road while another stand-out fixture is the meeting of Jimmy Collins and JC Desmond, both down from junior ranks; they contest at Rosscarbery. Among the seven first-round scores in section B is the meeting of James McNulty and James O’Neill at Leap and the Pa Burke v Liam Hurley set-to at The Marsh Road. Novice D is also ready to go with first-round draws also unveiled. Draws for the remaining novice and under-age championships will be announced in March. All draws can be viewed on Carbery Bowling facebook page.
The inter-regional under-age team play-offs will take place at The Phale Road on Sunday morning. Carbery have strong selections in both boys and girls. Meabh Cuinnea and Emma O’Leary survive from last year’s team who were narrowly pipped by North Cork for top spot, and they are joined by Lauren McCarthy in a team that will make a strong bid for outright honours. Tom McCarthy and Brian Harrington, should they repeat their championship form, will be well in the running and they are bolstered by another of Carbery’s rising stars, U10 representative Ed McCarthy. Throw-off at The Phale Road is at 10am.
Interest for Carbery last weekend was mainly centred on events at Castletownkenneigh where the Mid Cork club’s All-Ireland fundraising weekend had two of the region’s leading lights in action. Here, David Shannon took full advantage of an unfortunate slip by Armagh’s Mark Toal, to come for almost a bowl down and defeat the northerner in the last shot on Saturday while Michael Bohane was consistent in his victory over Michael Harrington on Sunday. Former Carbery men Kevin Coughlan and Flor Crowley were also big winners at the Mid Cork venue. On the home front, Sean O’Neill won his Pat O’Halloran Cup score with Reenascreena’s Shane McCarthy, at Rosscarbery while Saoirse O’Neill won her U12 semi-final at The Phale Road.
Results
Rosscarbery: Pat O’Halloran Cup novice D, Sean O’Neill defeated Shane McCarthy (R), one bowl.
Shannonvale: Novice B, Tim Kelleher defeated Sidney Shannon, one bowl, for €1,100.
Ardcahan: Doubles, Michael Desmond/Donnacha O’Driscoll defeated Morgan and Peter Hickey, two bowls, for €500.
Castletownkenneigh: All-Ireland fundraising weekend; Saturday – Ronan Toal defeated David Hegarty, last shot, for €10,000; Jack O’Callaghan defeated Conor Lucey, one bowl, for €18,000; David Shannon defeated Mark Toal, last shot, for €20,000; Kevin Coughlan defeated Darren Harrington, two bowls, for €24,000: Sunday –Michael Bohane defeated Michael Harrington, two bowls, for €26,400; Flor Crowley defeated Michael Gould, one bowl, for €40,000; Aidan Murphy defeated Thomas Mackle, almost a bowl, for €24,000; Cathal Creedon defeated Alan Brickley, last shot, for €13,200.
Phale Road: Ted Hegarty underage tournaments, Boys’ U16, Eoin Hurley won from Adam Baker; U12, Eoghan Kelly won from Dylan Baker; U10 Semi-final, Dylan O’Callaghan won from Adam Harrington; U8, Timmie McDonagh won from Colm Bohane and Bobby O’Brien; U16 girls semi-final, Darcy O’Brien won from Laura Sexton; U14 semi-finals, Bella Barry Twohig won from Meabh Cuinnea; Lelia Foley won from Orla Murphy; U12 semi-finals, Saorise O’Neill won from Mia Hubbard; Chloe Hubbard won from Roybn O’Brien; U10 semi-finals, Elsie O’Flynn won from Cara Harrington; Cait Young won from Chloe O’Farrell and Rachel Murray.
Togher Cross: Boys’ U10, Tommy Coppinger won from Aaron O’Callaghan.
