FORTY-TWO inter-regional round scores over the coming weeks will decide Cork’s three representatives for the junior C and novice All-Irelands at Killea, Co. Waterford on September 2/3.
The opening salvoes came at Templemartin on Sunday last when South-West’s novice C and D champions came through stern tests provided by their North East regional counterparts.
Carrignavar’s Michael Murphy made a good start in his novice C preliminary round score with Ballygurteen’s Garoid McCarthy, and with a better fifth might have taken a bowl lead to ‘Slynne’s corner’. McCarthy steadied the ship and levelled the contest with a big effort to ‘O’Riordan’s’. He continued in the same vein and rose the bones of a bowl lead to the ‘schoolhouse cross’. The South-West champion held his margin to the end and now faces a tasty quarterfinal clash with Carbery’s Gavin Crowley at The Clubhouse.
Jack O’Driscoll made it a double for South-West when his good start saw him take an early lead against North East’s Mick Sheehan. For a €2,200 stake, Sheehan made inroads in the middle third but couldn’t come in front of his Clon opponent. Jack now has a quarter-final meeting with Carbery’s Darren O’Brien also at The Clubhouse. The remaining preliminary round scores in the junior C, novice A and B grades as well as several quarterfinal round fixtures are pencilled in for this week.
Fixtures secretary Richie Fitzgerald has progressed the vintage (over 60s) championship with week evening scores alternating between different regions. Section C with 69 entries divided in groups A and B, West and East of the county, is the priority. In the former, Group A (West), Jerry Connolly bowled well at Drinagh in advancing at the expense of Jim Walsh. On Tuesday at The Clubhouse, Liam Hurley hit seven big shots to ‘Dineen’s lane’ in his win over John O’Callaghan while at Leap on Thursday, Timmie Hennessy came from arrears to deny John Tringle in the last shot. The Pike clubman, Donal O’Sullivan hit top form at Timoleague when coming in ahead of Pat Joe Sheehy for a €700 total. In vintage C Group B (East) at Paddoes, Liam Buckley won from Tom Fulham and at The Bog Road, Mick Murphy, Donoughmore, still swinging almost forty years on from his junior A All-Ireland triumph, got through a tough battle with Mo O’Connor. Still in vintage C (East) at Glenabo, John Twohig won by two from Seamus O’Tuama and John O’Donoghue won from Denis Hoare. In vintage B group B at Beal na Morrive on Wednesday Association Hon Secretary, Michéal O’Céallacháin, gave a hint that he will be hard beaten in this category when firing four unreal opening shots in his win over Tom Allen. A shot of odds down then, Allen, fought it well but could not catch the Baile Bhuirne man.
Eirinn O’Donovan is West Cork junior ladies winner for 2023 after edging out Marie Russell in a thrilling contest on the Inch road, Dunmanway. The evenly matched duo went level to the ‘bridge’ before Marie took a sixty-metre lead with three exceptional shots from ‘Duggan’s’ to ‘Droumlena cross’. Eirinn closed the gap and eventually went ahead at the three-quarter stage. Marie looked to have regained the ascendancy with a sweeping cast towards the finish line only for Eirinn to meet the challenge head on and deliver a score-winning last throw.
John Anthony Murphy won the Mid Cork junior C final at Templemartin on Wednesday. Playing his near relative, Trevor O’Sullivan, Murphy, who won last year’s county novice A championship, was on the hind foot in the opening half of the score. A strong finishing surge brought him ahead and he will now contest with the East/West Waterford winner, Michael O’Leary, in the county rounds quarterfinal. At Ballinacurra, Upton, on Friday evening in E scores, Cian Collins defeated Finbarr Lucey for €1,100 and Sean Galvin defeated Martin Cronin for €1,000. In E too in Castletownkenneigh, Shane Collins won from Finbarr Coleman for a €500 total. In Gaeltacht junior ladies at Macroom Adrianna Creedon won from Laura O’Callaghan.
