SHANNONVALE’S Ger Connolly, not for the first time in the competition, came with a late salvo to take the spoils and claim the winner’s prize from Rosscarbery Bowling Club’s Michelle Hayes Cup junior B tournament decider on the Cahermore road on Saturday evening.
Drinagh’s John Young, having delivered a few outstanding efforts to take a handy lead for the last third, will rue missed chances in those crucial closing exchanges. A big gathering witnessed a close-quarter battle that, amid a few lapses on both sides, was always engaging. Connolly did excellently to follow a super cast of Young’s at ‘De Barra Lodge’, but he was still 70 metres adrift of his Drinagh rival as they played away from the lines at ‘Froe cross’. Chances went a begging as both missed ‘greens’ on the rising road to ‘Harte’s’ before the Shannonvale man found his groove with a splendid second last that brought him back in front. Young’s shot was a good one, but Connolly had its measure and the prestigious Hayes Cup commemorating the memory of Michelle, daughter of Ross club chairman, Steve, was heading to the South-West division.
Carbery completed its U16 championships with two finals at The Marsh Road on Wednesday evening. Involved in both were the Cuinnea brother and sister contenders, Sean and Maebh, from Rosscarbery. With a Donegal-CastleSalem background, both have been prominent in Carbery underage bowling with Maebh attaining county honours in U12 in 2022. This year is no exception and Sean battled it out with Caheragh’s talented Conor Crowley for the boys prize and the pair delivered a stirring contest. Conor fired the decisive shots from ‘Hurley’s bend’, two outstanding efforts that pushed him a bowl clear. Sean closed the gap, but the finish line came too soon, and Conor Crowley is the Carbery U16 champion for 2024. Another county campaign beckons for Maebh Cuinnea after her splendid start gave her winning leeway against defending champion, Emma O’Leary. Emma fought back in the shots to the ‘concrete’ but Maebh was consistent over the closing third and won by the bowl. Maebh has a preliminary round county score with City’s Dilly Barry-Twohig next with Mid Cork venue Ballinacurra the focal point.
Novice veteran winner, Denis Murphy, Skeagh, is close to a second regional championship as he heads for the last four in a novice C grade that had 32 starters. A big finish at Caheragh saw him get the better of leading contender, Leap’s Kieran O’Sullivan. Murphy now meets Bauravilla’s Brendan Crowley and U18 County winner Shane Crowley or Schull’s James Murphy meet on the other side.
Results:
County Championships:
The Pike: Vintage: Vincent O’Mahony defeated Pat Joe Sheehy, two bowls.
Carbery Championships:
Marsh Road: Novice C, Brendan Crowley defeated Shane McCarthy (Jun), last shot, for €2,500; Novice D, Paddy McCarthy defeated Dan McCarthy, €1,600; Boys U16 final, Conor Crowley won from Sean Cuinnea; Girl’s U16 final, Maebh Cuinnea won from Emma O’Leary.
Caheragh: Novice C, Denis Murphy defeated Kieran O’Sullivan (L) last shot, for €1,600.
Bauravilla: Novice C, Shane Crowley defeated Darren O’Brien; Novice D, Kieran Shannon defeated Bryan O’Regan.
Rosscarbery: Novice D, Martin Collins defeated Jamie Limrick.
Club:
Rosscarbery: Michelle Hayes Cup junior B tournament final, Ger Connolly defeated John Young, last shot, for €7,000; return double, Ger Shanahan/Richie Lawton defeated Sean O’Neill/James Cussen, last shot, for €2,000.
Caheragh: doubles, Kevin Minihane/Kieran O’Sullivan defeated Alan Brickley/Eoin Murray, last shot, for €1,500.
Durrus: Festival/Benefit scores: doubles, Shane McCarthy/Timmie O’Sullivan defeated Peter Kelly/Conor Bursell, two bowls, for €1,300; Joe O’Mahony/Barry O’Donovan (Jun) defeated Brendan O’Driscoll/Damien Daly, last shot, for €1,140.
Castletownkinneigh: Eoin Kelly defeated Kevin Coughlan, one bowl, for €2,200; Kevin Coughlan defeated Anthony Lynch, one bowl, for €8,000.
Timoleague: Ger Shanahan defeated Matthew O’Driscoll, last shot, for €340.
Templemartin: Shane Healy defeated Eoin Hurley, last shot, for €2,000.
Shannonvale: tournament, Mike Cussen defeated Eric Harrington, one bowl, for €1,000; return, Ger Shanahan defeated James Cussen, last shot, for €400.
Beal na mBlath: Colm O’Regan defeated Eoin Murray, last shot, for €1,900.
Togher Cross: Barry O’Donovan defeated Ian O’Sullivan, one bowl, for €1,200.
Durrus: Tommy Walsh defeated Connie O’Driscoll, last shot, for €400.
Kealkil: Alan O’Sullivan defeated Barry O’Donovan, one bowl, for €1,000.
Ballygurteen: Jamie O’Brien defeated Eoin McCarthy, last shot, for €1,400.
