JUNE bank holiday Monday saw the opening score in the men’s senior championship as South-West venue Timoleague hosted the meeting of Martin Coppinger and Aidan Murphy.
On the road where he captured the 2017 county title, Coppinger chose to deliver a consistent performance, not always forthcoming from him this year, and it yielded a bowl of odds victory over a dangerous rival whose interest in the championship is now terminated for 2024.
It was a stakeless duel and both men started in style with two big bowls out the first bend after which Murphy led by 20 metres. Coppinger led after four as a nice touch off ‘Bateman’s’ wall’ got him a 60-metre advantage. Murphy levelled after a good sixth and both lined their seventh to perfection as a good contest unfolded.
Coppinger made a big break at ‘O’Brien’s’ and, with Murphy going right with his ninth, the Bantry native held seventy metres approaching ‘Barryshall cross’. Murphy’s efforts to level again weren’t gaining traction and Coppinger eventually rose the bowl of odds at ‘O’Leary’s’. For the remainder, Coppinger covered tips and won by the bowl of odds.
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Paul Buckley certainly laid down a marker for the 2024 intermediate championship with a scintillating performance in his quarter-final round contest against Paidi Stokes at Conna on Monday. Firing four opening shots of record-breaking proportions, the Crossbarry man raced to a two-bowl lead. Stokes hit two big ones to the ‘bridge point’ in a good effort to reduce the deficit but Buckley followed both to hold his odds. There was to be no holding Buckley in this one. His ten to the ‘gas line’ represented excellent figures for the East Cork venue and he now joins Wayne Callanan in the last four draw.
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A big one in West Cork on Monday was the junior B semi-final at The Clubhouse. Liam Hurley, Togher Cross, and Drinagh’s John Young were in opposition, and it was a score that despite Hurley’s early dominance might have gone either way. Young’s opener never got going whereas Hurley lined three of the finest to ensure a bowl lead at the ‘chip’s’ in four. When the Drinagh man’s shot from ‘Dineen’s lane’ went right, he looked in further trouble but he rebounded in splendid style.
A magnificent effort to sight at ‘Murray’s’ kept it at the shot of odds and when he followed with four super casts beyond the ‘old school’ the odds were back to 30 metres. Unfortunately for him, when he caught the right with his third last, his good work was undone, and Hurley was back with commanding odds. Hurley held his ground over the closing shots and will play Adrian Buttimer or Kevin Cotter in the West Cork junior B decider. Back the road at The Clubhouse, Adrian Cronin defeated Tom Reaney, one bowl, for €1,900.
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An early bank holiday treat was served up at Jagoe’s Mills where an U14 county quarter-final between West Cork and East champions played out a thriller. West’s Conor Hourihane and his counterpart Tommy O’Callaghan gave their all in a shot-for-shot duel of quality bowling for the age-group. Leads exchanged with regular frequency as it went to the wire. Conor shaded it in the final exchanges to advance to the semi-final round.
At Conna on the previous evening, London’s good Courtmacsherry form did not transfer to the East Cork venue as they lost their weekend championship engagement. North East’s Gerald McDonagh just edged Callum O’Donovan in the county U16 preliminary. Still on under-age, in North Cork Kilcorney hosted the regional U12 final. Darragh Foley won this three-way play-off from Donagh Murphy and Ronan O’Connell.
