THERE was a big Mid Cork championship last Thursday evening as Dan O’Halloran and Kenneth Murphy clashed in junior B at Béal na Bláth.
Veteran campaigner Dan ensured the family will be doubly represented in the semi-final draw when scoring a two-bowl victory over his Kinsale rival. His son Bryan is already through to the last four, as is Noel O’Donovan, where they will be joined by the winner of Killian O’Sullivan v John Butler.
In Mid novice D at Dunderrow on Monday, Derrick Murphy defeated Chris Hayes by two bowls. The South-West championship progressed with a novice D championship score at Lyre and Ger Shanahan advanced with a win over James Fitzpatrick. At Shannonvale, Eric Harrington defeated Danny O’Brien, last shot, for €1,100. In the novice veteran championship at Fisher’s Cross, Séamus White defeated Brendan O’Sullivan and Timmie Hennessy got the better of Pat Joe Sheehy.
In West Cork, an exciting novice D contest at the Clubhouse saw Cian Young score a ten-metre win from an unlucky Ray Jennings. In a score in which the lead changed on numerous occasions, Jennings led for the final exchanges only for Young’s piledriver to prove decisive.
Back the road at The Clubhouse in novice veteran, Damien Healy won from Connie O’Driscoll. In West Cork U16 at Derrinasafa, Daithí Galvin won from Josh O’Farrell and Shane Hurley won from Michael Galvin.
Association secretary Micheál O’Callaghan is on the winning trail again after getting over a tough hurdle in his opening score in the Gaeltacht novice veteran championship. His shoot-out with Tomas O’Murchu at Ballyvourney on Saturday was well contested with O’Callaghan’s strong finish deciding it.
In the City division at Templemichael, Michael Murphy defeated Cian Boyle by a bowl of odds. In East Cork, Mick Wall completed a fine comeback with a last-shot win over Andrew O’Leary for a €2,780 total at Ballincurrig. In North Cork at Kilcorney on Monday, in the novice D championship, Alex Roche defeated Pat Fitzgibbon in the last shot of a good score that carried a €600 total stake. In the same grade at Ballinagree on Tuesday, Gary Murphy defeated TJ Willis, by a bowl for €500 and Shane Corkery defeated Aaron Doherty. In a return score at Ballinagree, John MacSullivan won from Liam McCarthy for a €920 stake.
In club action, Conor Creedon defeated Kenneth Murphy at Lyre on Saturday. Despite an excellent effort by Murphy at the tunnel, where he led by twenty metres, it was Creedon who regained a significant advantage again in the shots to Crowley’s corner and through the crossover.
The Baile Bhúirne man gave Murphy a chance when he misdirected at the rose bed three from home, but the opportunity wasn’t taken and Creedon took the spoils with a big last shot. They played for a total of €3,200. Two of the game’s elder statesmen enjoined in battle in the return here. Jerry Connolly and Gene O’Callaghan have been around the block but can still find the gears for a competitive contest. Connolly won for a €900 stake.
At Lyre on Easter Monday, Gaeltacht’s Micheal Desmond defeated his county final conqueror John Anthony Murphy, in the last shot of a fiercely contested encounter for a €4,400 total stake. At Derrinasafa, Carbery’s John Cahalane, finished strongly in overturning an early deficit to Diarmuid Hurley and going on to win their duel by almost a bowl of odds. They played for a €6,680 total.
