SHANE Shannon won the Durrus Junior B/C tournament final from Ballinacarriga’s Finbarr Lynch.
With confidence high after his thrilling three-way tournament win at Templemartin a few weeks previous, the Brahalish man was in control from the off in the play-off of this competition, which had been in abeyance for a few years.
Lynch, a junior player of substance for many decades and a previous two-time tournament winner in Durrus, has understandably dropped down the grades in recent years while Shannon, the current Carbery junior B champion, is on an upward curve and will contest in the junior A championship next year.
The resulting gulf made for a one-sided score although the Ballinacarriga man could not be faulted for effort. Shannon was quickly into his stride and rose two bowls by the half-way mark. He maintained his dominance to the finish. There was success for the Randals support when one of the club’s rising stars, Pádraigh O’Sullivan, edged Muinter Bháire’s Frank Arundel in a second score at Durrus.
Rosscarbery’s novice B tournament progressed with two scores on Sunday. There was no joy for the locals as Macroom’s Darren Kelly won from David Minihane of Leap and Ballinagree’s David Crowley got the better of former Carbery bowler, Enda Conneally.
Minihane went a bowl clear on his Gaeltacht rival but a couple of errors approaching Barry’s Hill proved costly. Kelly took charge and won despite a spirited late rally by the Leap man. A slack start was Conneally’s undoing as David Crowley raced to a two-bowl lead. The former Schull man halved the margin on the downhill stretch and might have been closer with a little luck. Crowley held on and won by the bowl.
There were mixed fortunes for Carbery’s vintage grade contenders. Donal Harnedy, winner last year, stays on course in his bid for a second successive section B prize after a hard-earned victory over Patsy O’Sullivan at Ballygurteen but Liam O’Driscoll’s aspirations were dashed at the hands of an impressive David Walsh.
In section C, Liam Hurley and DD Carroll bowed out at Drimoleague and The Clubhouse respectively but Jack Cahalane remains in contention having won the all Carbery shoot-out with Harry Russell at Bauravilla.
Carbery bowling mourns the passing of John Joe Barry, Rosscarbery. From Ballyhoulihane, John Joe was a keen follower of the game throughout his lifetime. He was a welcome presence on countless bowling roads where his pleasant demeanour and approachable manner endeared him to many. Rest in Peace.
