TOMMY O’Sullivan is South-West U18 champion for 2023. For Ballineen’s Owen McCarthy there was no repeat of last year’s sensational result when he eliminated his then junior A graded opponent, but he put in a brave effort and kept the winning margin to a bowl of odds having been two down at ‘White’s cross’.
Now up in intermediate ranks, O’Sullivan showed his class with two opening piledrivers which gave him huge early leeway. McCarthy did his best bowling in the latter half of the score but could not get close enough to cause another upset.
Also in under-age, Rory Twohig is South West U14 champion after his win over Cathal O’Donovan at Lyre. Ivan Buchannon is going well in Novice A and secured another win at Timoleague this time from Gary Lombard. Ger McCarthy, Ballygurteen, is showing his potential in the South West novice C championship and was impressive again in a semi-final victory over the formidable Alan Murphy at Lyre on Wednesday. Also, at Lyre in in a novice C quarterfinal contest, Diarmuid Murphy defeated Eric Harrington, last shot, for €500.
Mid Cork’s championships progressed. A novice B semi-final at Ballinacurra, Upton, on Monday saw Kevin O’Crualaoi come out on top of a cracker with Kevin O’Donovan. Their contest carried a €1,500 total. In C, at Dunderrow, Barry Coughlan defeated Conor O’Donovan. Another school outing had Coppeen National School third and fourth classes trying their skills at the bowling game during the week. Caroline O’Leary, Gretta Cormican, Jimmy Hennessy and Finbarr McCarthy lent a hand and demonstrated technique to the pupils.
The Gaeltacht novice A championship is down to the final stages. At Clondrohid, Colm McLoughlin defeated Freddie Scannell in a score of missed chances. They played for a total of €1,240. Colm plays Cillian Kelleher in the semi-final. Noel Murphy is through to the decider after his win over Darren Kelly at Macroom. In novice B Patrick Moynahin defeated Jim Coffey (jun) at Kilnamartyra. In C at Clondrohid, Mattie McDonagh won from Adrian O’Driscoll. In D at Clondrohid, Jamie McCarthy defeated D D McCarthy for €640.
The second of two preliminary round scores in the county junior A championship was played during last week. At Beal na Morrive on Thursday, City’s Patrick Stokes overcame Gaeltacht’s Eoin O’Riordan for a €1,300 total. O’Riordan won the opening exchange before Stokes came ahead after three. The City man continued to dominate and won by a bowl. He plays Carbery’s David Shannon in the quarterfinal round this week at Lyre. The first of the quarterfinals went ahead at Inchigeelagh on Saturday and produced a surprise result in the sense that the punter’s favourite, Mid Cork’s first-time champion, David O’Mahony, bowed out at the hands of North Cork’s experienced challenger, Mark Burke. Going for a €1,200 total, the North Cork champion led for the first time after four. Having missed a few chances to pull away, Burke did eventually rise an eighty-metre advantage with a big eighth shot. O’Mahony beat big tips to keep the margin under the bowl in the subsequent exchanges but Burke was on a roll and rose the shot of odds with a splendid twelfth. It was enough of a cushion for a place in the semi-finals where he meets South West’s Denis O’Sullivan. The South-West champion won his quarter-final clash with London’s Patrick O’Driscoll at Curraheen on Sunday morning. In a stakeless score, the bowling was average for a while before O’Sullivan took charge and won by a shot.
The intermediate quarter-final at Bantry was, for the second year running, a local derby on the creamery road between the clubs two main men Donal O’Riordan and Tim Young. As in 2022, it was a wholesome battle with the lead changing on numerous occasions. O’Riordan did not make the best of starts and Young was away with a big early lead. O’Riordan whittled away but Young still led by ten metres with four to go. In an exciting finale O’Riordan edged ahead and eventually won by a big fore bowl. He plays Wayne Parkes in the semi-final at The Marsh Road. Gaeltacht’s Ailbhe O’Shea is through to the county U18 semi-final after a good contest with City’s Dilly Barry-Twohig at Bweeng on Thursday.
In a junior C semi-final shoot-out at Drinagh, Liam Hurley won a hard-fought duel with Paul Kingston, last shot, for €1,700. Hurley’s victory sets up an all Togher Cross final with Niall Crowley. Mark Dean is U18 champion for the second year running after winning from his brother Jonathan at Drinagh on Sunday morning. In a novice B quarter-final at Ballinacarriga on Thursday, Castledonovan’s Seamus O’Regan defeated Dunmanway’s Brian Hurley, last shot, for €1,900.
