The first county trophy for the 2023 season went to Drinagh.
Emma Hurley brought a large entourage to Beál na mBláth for her challenge to Laura Sexton’s U16 crown and thrilled her support with one of the great championship displays of recent times.
Their previous battles in U12 in 2019 and in Ted Hegarty’s tournaments at The Phale Road had gone the Timoleague girl’s way but only marginally, and there was high expectation again as they played away from ‘Bradfield’s cross’ on Thursday evening.
Laura’s opener was a super cast along the centre and signalled intent on retaining her title. Emma’s determination that this was going to be her evening shone immediately as she came within metres of a formidable mark and, when she took the lead with her second shot, her focus never wavered as she maintained her position at the front.
A fourth shot of prodigious length rose a bowl of odds and a sixth again perfectly played consolidated her lead. Laura’s fighting spirit showed in a superb ninth and she did not relinquish her crown easily, but such was the quality of Emma’s bowling that the odds increased to two bowls by the three-quarter stage.
Emma closed it out with an astonishing throw to the finish line by the old Mossgrove creamery site and will go with confidence to the All-Ireland series at Ballincurrig on July 8th/9th.
